Cannot count on export orders, and this is mostly because India’s completely flawed/non-existent arms export policy.
Only recently have even modest products been offered to friendly nations and that too in a rather passive manner.
Is India going to be able to compete in the notoriously cutthroat global arms market going up against long established giants with full backing from their respective govts? Really hard to imagine that.
Chinese who have many times more influence in many markets and are willing to offer attractive financing options have been less than stellar in selling their suped up Mig-21 (JF 17).
For 60 years Congress had been in power. And it has milked taxpayers in the name of immediate defence requirements since 1948(The Jeep Scandal). Developing an indigenous MIC was contrary to its financial interests let alone developing an Export promotion body. .........I leave it to that. Elaborating it will be a waste of time.
Fast forward to present. Present GOI's tacticians are master players and their works are now more visible than ever.
GOI(MOD) has not only set an export worth 2 billion USD target for 2019 but also expediting indigenous defence production. And for start, DRDO is teaming up with Brahmos aerospace to market its products. There are some really fine products like Brahmos, Pinaka, Prahar, Dhanush, ATAGS(under development), Dhruv, LCH, LUH, Tejas MK-1, UTTAM+Astra MK-1, a wide range of Air launched PGMs, a wide range of Radars, a range of Warships, a range of EW equipment etc.
Recently Team Tejas has launched aggressive PR campaign under which they have flown multiple high-level dignitaries. During last AI they also conducted multiple customer demonstration sorties. Least it has done put Tejas on the international map as a low-cost cutting edge fighter option.
Once IFR is certified Tejas would be sent to almost all major air shows. Confirms FB admin. They might even keep a couple of air show ready fighters.
I see Tejas in Vietnam and SLAAF at least. Once Safaranized Kaveri gets operational sells to many other nations would be possible.
I am hopeful. By 2024 much would have changed.