Defence Spend May Cross Rs 7 Lakh Crore As Government Eyes Rs 50,000 Crore Supplementary Grant After Operation Sindoor: Report

India’s defence budget could rise by Rs 50,000 crore after Operation Sindoor, with the increase likely routed through a supplementary budget, NDTV reported citing government sources.

This would push the total defence allocation beyond Rs 7 lakh crore for the first time.

In the Union Budget for 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earmarked Rs 6.81 lakh crore for defence — a 9.2 per cent jump from Rs 6.22 lakh crore allocated in 2024-25.

The additional funds, likely to be approved in the Winter Session of Parliament, are expected to support R&D and procurement of weapons, ammunition, and other critical equipment, according to the report.

Since 2014, defence has remained a top priority for the Modi government.

In its first year of the BJP government in 2014, the defence ministry received Rs 2.29 lakh crore.

The present allocation is not only the highest among all ministries but also constitutes 13 per cent of the total Union Budget.

The proposed increase comes amid heightened security tensions following the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack and India’s military response — Operation Sindoor — targeting terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Operation Sindoor demonstrated the Indian military’s strategic precision, combining tactical expertise with high-grade air defence, including indigenous systems like Akash — seen by many as comparable to Israel’s Iron Dome.

Following Op Sindoor, India successfully tested Bhargavastra — a low-cost, hard-kill counter-drone system — at Odisha’s Gopalpur range this week. The system’s micro-rockets met all test objectives.

After the intense 100-hour military face-off with Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated the need for greater indigenous defence manufacturing, calling it the sustainable path forward.

"If we buy defence equipment from other countries, it means we are outsourcing it and leaving our security in the hands of someone else. This cannot be a long-term solution," he said.

The 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, carried out by a proxy of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, killed 26 — mostly civilians .

India first responded with non-military steps like suspending the Indus Waters Treaty. This was followed by Op Sindoor — targeted airstrikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoJK on 7 May.

Despite warnings by India that the strikes were non-escalatory, Pakistan responded with drone and missile strikes on Indian targets — military and civilian.

Most were intercepted by India’s layered air defence, including Akash weapon systems.

India responded with another wave of precision strikes, taking out Pakistani radar infrastructure and damaging key Air Force installations, after which Islamabad sought a ceasefire.

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