Op Sindoor: Defence budget expected to receive additional Rs 50,000 crore, say sources

The defence budget is expected to receive an additional allocation of Rs 50,000 crore through a supplementary budget, sources said. A proposal has been made that aims to enhance spending on new weapons, ammunition, and technology following Operation Sindoor.

The supplementary budget may be approved during the Winter session of Parliament. The extra funds will likely support the armed forces' requirements, essential procurements, and research and development activities.

This year, the Union Budget allocated a record Rs 6.81 lakh crore for defence, marking a 9.53 per cent increase from the previous financial year. Since the NDA government took office, the defence budget has nearly tripled over the past decade. In 2014-15, the allocation was Rs 2.29 lakh crore, while this year it stands at Rs 6.81 lakh crore, which is 13.45 per cent of the total budget.

Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's defence capabilities by destroying nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan without crossing the border. During the conflict, India's multi-layered air defence system, including indigenous technology, neutralised almost every incoming missile and drone.

Along with the long-range Russian S-400 'Triumf' system, India deployed the Barak-8 medium-range SAM system and the indigenous Akash system to counter Pakistani drones and missiles. Battle-proven air defence systems such as the Pechora, OSA-AK, and LLAD guns were also used.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the success of Operation Sindoor in his address on May 12. He said, "During this operation, the credibility of our Made-in-India weapons was firmly established. The world now recognises that the time for Made-in-India defence equipment in 21st-century warfare has arrived."