Kazakhstan Pact: India Pushes Co-Production of Pinaka and BrahMos Systems
In a major diplomatic and military outreach to Central Asia, India has formally proposed joint development and co-production of the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) and BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with Kazakhstan. The offer was tabled during the inaugural India–Kazakhstan Defence Industry Seminar held in Astana on December 5–6, 2025, co-chaired by India’s Secretary (Defence Production) and Kazakhstan’s Deputy Defence Minister. Multiple Indian private and public sector firms—including Kalyani Strategic Systems, Solar Industries, Bharat Forge, and BrahMos Aerospace—presented detailed roadmaps for technology transfer, licensed production, and eventual export from Kazakh soil to third countries.
This initiative comes at a time when Kazakhstan is aggressively diversifying its Soviet-era arsenal and seeking reliable partners outside Russia and China. For India, the pact opens a strategic corridor to Central Asia, secures rare-earth and uranium supply chains, and creates a new export hub for two of its most successful indigenous weapon systems. Analysts describe the move as a “win-win” that could eventually see Kazakh-assembled Pinaka regiments deployed along the 3,800-km China–Kazakhstan border—indirectly enhancing India’s own continental deterrence architecture.
Pinaka: From Indian Borders to Central Asian Steppes
The Pinaka MBRL, developed by DRDO’s Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) and now produced by private giants such as Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro, has evolved into one of the world’s most accurate and lethal area-saturation systems. The latest Pinaka-ER (Extended Range) with guided rockets offers a reach of 90–120 km (and reportedly 200+ km in developmental Mark-2 versions). During the 2025 Balakot–Sindoor air campaigns, Pinaka regiments demonstrated devastating precision against terror launch pads across the LoC, earning it the nickname “Mountain Killer”.
Kazakhstan, which currently operates ageing Russian BM-30 Smerch and Grad systems, has shown keen interest in replacing them with Pinaka Mk-1 Enhanced and Pinaka-ER variants. The proposed deal includes transfer of guidance kits, rocket production lines, and canisterised launchers. A dedicated 200-acre defence park near Karaganda is being earmarked for the purpose. Read our earlier coverage on how DRDO’s recent technology transfers under SAMANVAY 2025 are fuelling exactly this kind of private-sector-led export boom → DRDO’s SAMANVAY 2025: Tech Transfers Fuel Private Defence Boom.
BrahMos: The Supersonic Export Crown Jewel
BrahMos Aerospace, the Indo-Russian joint venture, is separately offering land-attack and anti-ship variants for co-production. Kazakhstan’s location on the Caspian Sea makes the anti-ship BrahMos highly attractive for maritime security against potential threats. The extended-range 800-km BrahMos-ER is also on the table, though export would require Russian concurrence under the original JV terms.
Significantly, India has assured Kazakhstan that up to 70 % indigenisation is achievable within five years, with Kazakh firms manufacturing composite airframes, solid-fuel boosters, and seeker sub-systems. This mirrors the highly successful Philippines Marine Corps deal and positions Kazakhstan as the second major export customer after Southeast Asia.
Strategic Context and Timing
The Astana seminar follows Prime Minister Modi’s July 2025 visit to Kazakhstan and President Tokayev’s presence as chief guest at India’s 2026 Republic Day (already confirmed). Both countries are part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) yet maintain strategic autonomy—making defence industrial cooperation a low-risk, high-gain proposition.
From India’s perspective, the deal dovetails perfectly into the 15-Year Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP 2025–2040), which explicitly lists large-scale export of artillery and missile systems as a funding mechanism for next-generation hypersonic and counter-hypersonic programmes. Dive deep into the ICDP 2025–2040 roadmap here.
It also complements the Army’s ongoing border transformation initiatives. The new Ashni drone platoons and Bhairav commando units recently activated along the LAC rely heavily on Pinaka fire support for rapid saturation strikes. Explore the Army’s new border deterrence arsenal to understand how Pinaka forms the backbone of these reforms.
Economic and Industrial Impact
- Estimated initial order size: 18–24 Pinaka regiments + 200–300 BrahMos missiles
- Value: upwards of US $2.8–3.5 billion over 10 years
- Job creation: ~4,000 direct high-skill jobs in Kazakhstan, 8,000+ in Indian MSMEs
- Export revenue will subsidise India’s own Pinaka Mk-3 guided rocket development (300–500 km range)
The involvement of private Indian majors under the Defence Acquisition Procedure’s DcPP model echoes the success story of Astra Mk-1’s combat debut earlier this year. Relive Astra Mk-1’s historic first kill—a textbook example of how private–DRDO synergy is now driving exports.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Russia retains veto rights on BrahMos exports, though Moscow has been unusually accommodative since the 23rd India–Russia Summit. Full coverage of the summit outcomes. China’s growing influence in Central Asia remains a concern, but Kazakhstan’s balancing act favours deeper ties with New Delhi.
In conclusion, the India–Kazakhstan defence production pact is not merely an arms sale—it is the first brick in a Central Asian “defence corridor” that could eventually include Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. As 2025—the Year of Reforms—unfolds, such partnerships prove that India’s defence indigenisation journey is rapidly morphing into a formidable export engine.
