Surge in India’s 2025-26 Defence Budget: A Threat to Regional Stability Amid Rising Tensions
February 3, 2025India’s 2025-26 Defence Budget increase signals escalating military spending, raising concerns about growing regional instability, particularly with China and Pakistan.
India’s Defence Budget for 2025-26 has witnessed a significant 9.53% rise, increasing from INR 6.22 Lakh Crore to INR 6.81 Lakh Crore, now constituting 13.44% of the Union Budget—the highest allocation among all ministries. This surge in defense spending highlights a strategic shift in India’s military priorities, but it also poses a direct threat to regional stability, particularly in South Asia.
The considerable rise in India’s defense budget signals growing concerns over military developments in neighboring China, which has been expanding its military capabilities and exerting increasing influence in the region. As China strengthens its military presence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, India’s response appears to be a direct countermeasure, signaling potential escalation in regional tensions. This arms race, fueled by India’s defense spending hike, could further destabilize the already volatile situation in South Asia.
More troubling, however, is the shift in India’s regional strategy, especially with its diminishing strategic leverage in Bangladesh. This erosion of influence could push India toward more covert and aggressive military tactics in the region. India may be preparing to support insurgent or terrorist groups in neighboring countries as a means of destabilizing governments that align with China’s interests or those of Pakistan. Such covert operations would not only inflame existing conflicts but also heighten tensions with neighboring state, particularly Afghanistan, whose security is already precarious.
India’s increased defense spending, and its potential for covert military engagement, raises questions about its true intentions in the region. The government’s efforts to counter Chinese influence through military power and covert destabilization campaigns could trigger a larger arms race and lead to direct confrontations.
The rise in India’s defense budget may be framed as a national security measure, but in reality, it could be the catalyst for a far-reaching instability that destabilizes the entire South Asian region. Rather than fostering regional peace and cooperation, India’s actions risk pushing the region closer to conflict, particularly as it continues to pursue a more aggressive stance toward its neighbors.
As India prepares for a larger military footprint, it risks dragging the entire region into an arms race, where the potential for conflict escalates by the day. The growing defense budget, paired with covert operations to destabilize neighboring countries, could undermine the delicate balance of power in South Asia, fueling insecurity across the region.
