: Sunday, February 01, 2026 6:48 PM
New Delhi. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget on Sunday. In this year’s budget, Rs 2.19 lakh crore has been kept for the capital expenditure of the armed forces. Whereas, last year this amount was Rs 1.80 lakh crore. This means that this year there has been a huge increase of about 24 percent in this item. In fact, with this amount, new fighter aircraft, modern weapons, warships, submarines, drones, UAVs and special military vehicles will be purchased for the Indian Army. The Defense Ministry believes that in view of the current global situation, modernization of the army has now become a necessity. This time the government has clearly decided to promote the indigenous defense industry. Rs 1.39 lakh crore, i.e. 75 per cent of the total capital acquisition budget, has been earmarked for purchases from domestic industries. Private companies will also be involved in this. This will not only increase self-reliance in the defense sector, but will also create new employment opportunities in the country and many supporting industries will benefit.
In fact, this time the defense sector has received 14.68 percent of the total Union Budget, which is the largest allocation received by any ministry. A record provision of Rs 7.85 lakh crore has been made so far for the defense sector in the Union Budget.
Last year, a budget of Rs 6.81 lakh crore was allocated for the Defense Ministry in 2025–26. This year, special emphasis has been laid on military modernization. The Defense Ministry says that this increased budget will play an important role in strengthening the military preparedness of the country, promoting innovation in the defense sector and further strengthening national security.
At the same time, focus has also been placed on self-reliance and developing indigenous technology. There is a provision of Rs 2.19 lakh crore for capital expenditure. The biggest feature of the budget is that special attention has been paid to the modernization of the Army, Navy and Air Force. This amount will accelerate the procurement of modern weapon systems, new technologies and state-of-the-art equipment and make our forces more prepared for future challenges. A provision of Rs 3.65 lakh crore has been made in the defense budget under the revenue head. Out of this, Rs 1.58 lakh crore will be spent on operational preparations and maintenance. This will meet the regular requirements of essential spare parts, ammunition and military equipment.
The budget allocation of DRDO has also been increased. This will give new impetus to defense research. DRDO’s budget has been increased to Rs 29,100 crore. Out of this, a large amount will be spent on new technology, research and development of modern defense systems. The budget allocated for the Defense Ministry is being considered as a decisive step towards a technologically advanced and self-reliant India. In line with the vision of Developed India 2047, this budget given to the Defense Ministry focuses on modernization, technological innovation and better utilization of resources. Also, emphasis has been laid on making defense procurement processes simple and effective.
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Web Title-Budget 2026: Armed Forces to Receive New Fighter Jets, Warships, and Special Military Vehicles