Context: India needs to rethink, widen and prioritises its defence budget and military expenditure to counter the security challenges posed by militarily aggressive China.
Factor Necessitating Shift in India’s Military Expenditure and Budget
Way Forward: Defence budget must be seen as a wider security budget with a focus on following key areas:
Conclusion: Defence budget is not just a ledger on military expenditure; hence higher military spending of India must not lead to more off-the-shelf weapons purchases.