Sigma Advanced Systems has acquired Delhi based AS Strategic, a Defence and Space focused company with deep roots in Europe. AS Strategic works through long-term joint ventures and exclusive service partnerships with leading European and global defence OEMs.
The acquisition is a key step in Sigma’s journey toward becoming a globally embedded aerospace and defence platform. It strengthens Sigma’s direct involvement in European defence programmes and expands its international footprint.
AS Strategic brings with it an order book of over ₹315 crore for the calendar year 2026, largely tied to ongoing European defence programs. The acquisition cost is estimated at ₹30 crore.
Through this transaction, Sigma gains access to established joint ventures and service-based partnerships with major European defence companies, including AbraWorks, Escribano, and Arquimea, three of Europe’s leading defence companies.
AS Strategic has also forged partnerships with global OEMs for providing advanced engineering services and solutions. Four of these agreements are with CSG Group companies, namely Excalibur International, MSM Group, BTG Defence, and Fábrica de Municiones de Granada (FMG). AS Strategic also has agreements with Yugoimport SDPR, Milkor (Pty) Ltd, Truvelo Armory Manufacturers, and SAES Electronica Submarina.
Together, these relationships give Sigma direct access into international OEM ecosystems.
Extending the Global Platform Built Through Nasmyth
The AS Strategic acquisition builds directly on Sigma’s recent acquisition of Nasmyth, which established a strong manufacturing and industrial footprint across Europe and the UK. While Nasmyth strengthened Sigma’s precision manufacturing, special processes, and Tier-1 supply chain integration, AS Strategic adds the front-end layer of program access, customer intimacy, and system-level participation within European defence ecosystems.
Together, Nasmyth and AS Strategic create a vertically integrated platform, combining Western OEM proximity with India-based engineering and manufacturing execution, positioning Sigma as a globally embedded aerospace and defence company rather than a standalone sub-system supplier.
Direct Access to Global Defence Programs
By acquiring a company already embedded within European OEM joint ventures, Sigma is able to enter into the international defence supply chain. This provides Sigma with participation in long-duration international defence programs, improved qualification cycles and program references, customer proximity, and repeat-order visibility. This significantly shortens Sigma’s time-to-market for global defence programs and positions the company as a trusted execution partner to global defence ecosystem.
From Outsourced Manufacturing to Controlled Execution
Historically, AS Strategic has operated with an outsourced manufacturing model. That is now set to change. Following the acquisition, and post consultation and approval by its new OEM partners, Sigma plans to bring production and engineering in-house across its Indian facilities. The shift will be driven by Sigma’s integrated manufacturing footprint and scale, further reinforced by Nasmyth’s advanced industrial capabilities.
This transition will bring advanced manufacturing capabilities in-house, improve margins, and strengthen control over quality, delivery, IP, and lifecycle support.
More importantly, this enables Sigma to move decisively up the value chain, from being a subsystem supplier to a provider of finished products and system-level solutions within global defence ecosystems.
A Long-Term, Program-Led Defence Platform
Defence programs are inherently long-cycle in nature, often running seven to ten years or more, and demand lifetime support, sustained execution discipline, and deep customer trust. Sigma’s operating model now combines front-end proximity to Western OEMs, India-based manufacturing and engineering, and a cost-efficient, de-risked execution platform for global programs.
“AS Strategic is not a capacity add for us. It is a capability and credibility add,” said Sunil Kalidindi, CEO of Sigma Advanced Systems. “This acquisition embeds Sigma deeper into global defence programs where trust, execution discipline, and long-term commitment matter more than cost alone. Along with Nasmyth, we are building an integrated global platform that allows us to move decisively up the value chain from subsystems to systems and integrated solutions, while supporting India’s push to become a serious defence exporter.”
Kalidindi added that defence buyers increasingly value lifetime program ownership over transactional supply. “AS Strategic gives us an installed base, program continuity, and customer proximity that would take years to build organically.”
Accelerating Indigenisation and Defence Exports
The acquisition fits squarely within the intent of India’s Defence Budget 2026–27, which continues to emphasise indigenisation, defence exports, and closer integration with global supply chains. The direction is clear: build critical capability at home, reduce long-term dependence, and scale Indian manufacturing for global relevance.
In that sense, this move reflects the practical evolution of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Not as isolation, but as capability building with export ambition. The objective is no longer just self-reliance, but Make for the World.
European JV partners associated with AS Strategic already have defined India localisation roadmaps, reinforcing the broader EU–India defence cooperation framework. This creates a faster and more credible pathway for export-oriented production from India, while simultaneously strengthening domestic defence manufacturing capability.
Long-Term Strategy: System-Level Leadership
Sigma’s long-term strategy is to evolve into a system integrator across aerospace structures, defence electronics, and emerging domains such as counter-drone systems. The AS Strategic acquisition directly supports this roadmap by adding program-level exposure within global defence ecosystems, engineering depth, governance frameworks aligned with global defence standards, and direct access to international OEMs for finished products and solutions.
Rather than opportunistic expansion, Sigma views this acquisition, along with Nasmyth as disciplined capability building, creating a globally trusted, export-led aerospace and defence platform with clear earnings visibility, strategic relevance, and long-term positioning in global defence supply chains.
With AS Strategic and Nasmyth together, Sigma strengthens its position as a globally embedded aerospace and defence company, capable of executing complex, multi-year international programs while anchoring manufacturing, talent, and value creation firmly in India.
About Sigma Advanced Systems
Sigma Advanced Systems is a globally integrated aerospace and defence company with more than three decades of manufacturing experience. Operating across India and the UK, with expansion underway in the United States, Sigma is among the largest India-headquartered manufacturers of aero-engine and aerostructure components. The company works closely with global aerospace and defence OEMs at the programme level through long-term agreements and delegated responsibilities. Sigma combines customer proximity in Western markets with India’s cost-efficient, talent-rich manufacturing base to deliver high-complexity, safety-critical components, assemblies, and systems across aerospace, defence, and emerging technologies.
