Lockheed Martin (LMT) is deepening its presence in India through strategic partnerships aimed at expanding local defense manufacturing and strengthening supply-chain capabilities.
The company, through the Javelin Joint Venture with RTX Corporation (RTX), recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to explore co-production of the Javelin All Up Round in India.
Under the agreement, Tata Advanced Systems has been selected as the Javelin Joint Venture’s prime partner for future in-country co-production efforts in India.
The companies will explore establishing a final assembly and integration facility for the Javelin All Up Round alongside component production capabilities within India.
Sub-assembly kits will be produced at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Troy, AL, before being shipped abroad for final integration.
Guidance electronics units will be manufactured at RTX’s Tucson, AZ, facility and also shipped to India for final assembly and integration.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Lockheed Martin’s relationship with India while expanding the Javelin supply chain and supporting greater overall manufacturing capacity.
Local production is also anticipated to improve supply-chain resilience and enable faster fielding and sustained readiness for partner nations operating in the Indo-Pacific region.
The partnership aligns with India’s broader push to strengthen its domestic defense industrial base and increase self-reliance in critical weapons systems.
For Lockheed Martin, deeper integration with India’s defense ecosystem could create significant opportunities for future production and technology partnerships across the region.
RTX is also strengthening its own position in India through partnerships spanning defense systems, aircraft components, and manufacturing, with its Javelin collaboration set to expand its local industrial footprint.
Airbus (EADSY) is separately expanding its presence in India with a new 880,000-square-foot technology center in Bengaluru supporting engineering, digital, customer services, and procurement activities.
Shares of LMT have risen 14.4% over the past year, compared against the industry’s 7% decline during the same period.
The company’s shares are trading at a discount on a relative basis, with its forward 12-month Price/Earnings ratio at 16.34X compared with the industry’s average of 30.76X.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LMT’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved higher over the past 60 days, and LMT stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of Hold.
