Amid recent military challenges and rising tensions with Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is reportedly set to propose an additional 500 billion Indian rupees (INR) in defence funding.
As per various media outlets, the supplementary budget—linked to the newly-launched Operation Sindoor—is expected to significantly increase military expenditure once again this year, following an earlier 9% hike in India’s defence budget.
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If sanctioned, this latest boost will raise the total defence spending for the fiscal year 2025–26 to more than 7 trillion INR. Previously, the government had allocated 6.81 trillion INR in the Union Budget, up from 6.22 trillion INR last year, reflecting a 9.5% rise.
The proposal is anticipated to be tabled during the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. Since taking office in 2014, the BJP-led government has consistently placed high priority on defence, with initial allocations of 2.29 trillion INR that have now more than tripled over the past ten years.
