India has sold its indigenous Akash-1S surface-to-air missile defence system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed on October 1.

The sales mark a milestone for India’s defence export drive. Armenia was the only known foreign buyer before this, signing a $230-million deal in 2025. Neither Tajikistan nor Turkmenistan has publicly announced the purchase, and the value of the new contracts was not disclosed.

The Akash-1S is a short-to-medium range air defence platform that can intercept aerial targets up to 25 kilometres away, with an indigenous seeker for better targeting precision. Singh said production has stabilised and the system draws growing global interest.

Turkmenistan’s choice is notable because its air defences are built largely on Chinese equipment, including the FK-2000, FM-90 and FD-2000 systems. Adding an Indian system shows Ashgabat widening its supplier list.

Analysts say the exports give India a strategic foothold in Central Asia, a region historically supplied by Russia, and could open the door to wider Indian defence sales.