MORE BANG FOR THE INDIGENOUS BUCK

The government walks the talk on its indigenisation thrust by loosening its purse strings to facilitate R&D funding for the private sector. Policy implementation will remain a key challenge

- SANDEEP UNNITHAN

EYE IN THE SKY ‘Switch’, a high-altitude spy drone, made by Indian start-up ideaForge, deployed with the Indian army in Ladakh

India’s defence budget for 2022-23 saw a modest 10 per cent hike from Rs 4.78 lakh crore to Rs 5.25 lakh crore. Last year’s defence budget grew only by 1.4 per cent. India has the world’s third-largest military budget after the US and China, but because its military is manpower-intensive, it spends more on salaries and pensions than on modern equipment. Over 60 per cent of the military hardware in Indian inventory is imported. Continued defence imports lead not only to dependence on external sources, but also an outflow of foreign exchange and the creation of high-technology jobs in foreign countries.