In the context of India’s rapidly evolving security requirements, its defence budget is middling. For 35 years up to 2024, its defence budget as a percentage of GDP, as assessed by the World Bank, averaged only 1.8%, though in reality, it was much higher, with estimates varying widely. While China officially announced a defence budget of $246 billion in 2025, the overwhelming opinion is that it was much higher. It implied that in that year, China’s defence budget was $562 billion, as opposed to $647 billion for the U.S., and $68 billion for India. A larger defence budget would help forge collaborate ventures with private companies, with liberal government funding of critical projects.

Source: The Hindu February 01, 2026 21:01 UTC