“They are looking for a way to diversify at a time as it increasingly looks inwards towards its domestic needs, reducing its capacity to export air defense systems, especially in large numbers,” Aleksei Zakharov, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi told Defense News. “As a result, Central Asian countries are looking for possible alternatives.”

Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed the sales of the Akash surface-to-air missile system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan earlier this month in an interview with news agency Asian New International.

The Akash system can simultaneously engage multiple targets at ranges up to 25km according to the Defense Ministry. It also incorporates protections against electronic jamming.

Confidence in the missile system got a boost after it was “battle-tested” in a real conflict, according to Zakharov and could encourage Central Asian buyers to consider other Indian hardware, such as artillery and radar systems, as growing geopolitical uncertainty prompts countries to broaden their supplier base.

Certainly this can be an important first step for India’s entry into the defense markets of Central Asia.

India, which has been a major importer for decades has been gradually developing its own defense industry and boosting exports, which rose about 62 per cent in the last financial year to $4.1 billion. Indian companies export missiles, drones, armored vehicles, ammunition and aircraft components to more than 80 countries.