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Monday, February 23, 2026
TopicDefence spending

Topic: defence spending

China outspends India on defence in 2024, shows SIPRI report. Pakistan far behind

SIPRI’s latest data on Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2024, shows China spent $314 bn on its military in 2024, India spent $86.1 bn, while Pakistan spent $10.2 bn.

EU pitches €800-bn plan to ‘ReArm Europe’ as Trump suspends military aid to Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the plan Tuesday ahead of an emergency European Council meeting on 6 March. It also proposes a €150 bn common defence fund.

Not just spending, share of defence in budget declined over past decade, shows PRS analysis

Defence spending saw an annual increase of 9 percent between 2013-14 & 2025-26, a PRS analysis, published on 4 Feb, showed. In FY 2025-26, Centre allocated Rs 6,81,210 cr to the MoD.

Global defence spending rose to $2.46 trillion in 2024 amid security challenges, shows IISS report

Data published by International Institute of Strategic Studies shows US, China and Russia were the top 3 countries with the largest defence budgets.

Defence budget in 2025 increases by 9.52% but devil is in the details

The biggest increase in defence allocation is in the pension category—it constitutes 23.60 percent of the total allocation and stands at Rs 1,60,795 crore.

Xi wanted to teach India about imbalance of power. We should take a budgetary lesson from it

While we talk much about our military, we don’t put our national wallet where our mouth is. Nobody is saying we should double our defence spending, but current declining trend must be reversed.

Global military expenditure grew by 7% in 2023, steepest rise since 2009, says Swedish think tank

It said that NATO member countries’ spending totaled 55% of world’s expenditure. Top spenders into 2023 were US, China & Russia, said Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

NATO wants to push back against China, but members’ military spending still lags behind

NATO, in a policy document adopted during leaders' summit in Madrid last week, said China's 'coercive policies challenge' interests, security and values of member states.

India 3rd largest military spender, 50% defence exports go to Myanmar, shows data from SIPRI

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says India's defence spending in 2021 was up 0.9% from 2020. Rise comes on back of border tensions and ‘Make in India’ push. 

MoD and IDSA no longer separate. How Manohar Parrikar’s name was added to the think tank

With the packing of Executive Council with favorites of the establishment, a major source of resistance to defend IDSA’s autonomy could get weakened.

On Camera

Nick Jonas wearing a mangalsutra is validation for many Indians. He’s our favourite jiju

Nick Jonas is not trying to modernise the mangalsutra, but his gesture shows that choices can be equal. If commitment must be flaunted, it need not be gendered.

In the West, there’s anxiety. In India, optimism—Rishi Sunak says India poised to be leader in AI

On Wednesday, the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking in New Delhi at a Carnegie & Observer Research Foundation event on AI.

Suspected brake failure leads to Tejas accident after landing, airframe likely to be written off

The IAF, so far, remains mum on this accident which has led to grounding of the fleet for safety checks.

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.