Defence Budget: India vs China

Contrastingly, global recessionary trends seem to have affected Indian defence spending. India’s defence minister A.K. Antony had recently referred to the “difficult economic situation both at home and abroad” while allocating the defence budget.

As the Chinese army continues to militarize, the Indian government is yet to decide approval of the formation of a mountain strike-corps that will grant the Indian Army offensive capabilities for the first time ever against China. Numerous important defence projects have also got repeatedly delayed like the artillery acquisitions for the Army.

On the other hand the Indian Air Force is also expecting the introduction of 126 fighter aircrafts in the proposed MMRCA deal with French firm Dassault but the deal is yet to be signed, while the Navy needs more submarines, as the induction of the French-origin Scorpene submarines has been delayed.

Recently, in the India-China Annual Defence Dialogue in Beijing, China had expressed a desire to work more personally with India in strengthening defence ties and hinted that the bitterness of the 1962 war should be forgotten, said defence ministry sources.

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