Following a major setback at the hands of Pakistan, the Indian government has announced a historic 15% increase in its defence budget.
The Modi administration, critics say driven by a warlike mindset, would now allocate $85.4 billion to defence, equivalent to 1.9% of India’s GDP.
The budget earmarks a 21% increase specifically for the acquisition of new weapons. However, analysts warn that much of India’s military hardware, including aircraft, is outdated or non-functional, and that the increase may have little practical impact on operational readiness.
For the first time, the budget makes no allocation for Iran’s Chabahar Port, a key regional project. According to foreign media reports, under pressure from the United States, India has stepped back from investing in Chabahar.
Defence analysts argue that while the budget increase is significant on paper, structural issues within the armed forces and aging equipment mean that the additional funds may not substantially improve India’s military capabilities.
