Kaal Bhairava goes to Europe: Why Portugal deal is gamechanger for India’s defence sector

An Indian-designed autonomous combat aircraft entering the European manufacturing ecosystem is an endeavour Indian defence planners seemingly wanted for years. But beyond the symbolism lies a far bigger story involving military technology, Nato interoperability, artificial intelligence, export controls, defence geopolitics and the rapidly changing nature of modern warfare. The agreement also highlights something increasingly visible in global defence manufacturing as the military power is no longer built entirely inside geographical limits.