India’s defence budget sets the financial roadmap for national security, military modernisation and long-term strategic capability. It outlines allocations for the Ministry of Defence, including spending on personnel, equipment, infrastructure, research and procurement. The focus in recent years has been on indigenisation, strengthening border preparedness, and boosting domestic manufacturing under the defence production push. The budget also reflects India’s wider geopolitical priorities as it works to upgrade its forces and reduce dependence on imports.
A showdown between BJP and Congress escalated over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to quote from an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane in Lok Sabha.
In this edition of 'To The Point', the big talking point is the political confrontation in Lok Sabha following Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s references to an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General MM Naravane.
This special News Today edition covers Pakistan's decision to boycott its T20 World Cup match against India following Bangladesh's withdrawal. The program features analysis by Sunil Gavaskar regarding potential ICC sanctions.
On this Special Report, host Maria Shereen decodes the significance of the traditional 'halwa ceremony' ahead of the Union Budget. Former Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha highlights the shift in India's fiscal landscape, stating, 'The mirchi of taxes has become the sugar of these budgets' due to revised tax slabs and GST simplification. The panel, featuring economist Professor Arun Kumar and Gaurav Vallabh of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council, debates the impact of tax relief on the middle class versus the unorganised sector. Sinha emphasizes that India is currently in a 'Goldilocks zone' with steady 7% growth and low inflation. The discussion further explores anticipated hikes in the defence budget following 'Operation Sindoor' and the need for self-reliance in production. The experts also deliberate on rural employment schemes, agricultural productivity, and the necessity of increasing R&D expenditure to compete globally. The programme provides a comprehensive outlook on the economic priorities and fiscal space available for the upcoming financial year.
Market participants are closely watching whether defence stocks could remain active in the coming days and what investors should keep in mind before taking exposure to this sector.
This market opening business show highlights a major development where the Adani Group has reportedly tied up with Brazil's Embraer to manufacture commercial aircraft in India. The programme discusses the government's revised GDP growth forecast of 7.4% for the fiscal year 2026, surpassing the RBI's estimates. Additionally, the broadcast covers the upcoming IPO of Bharat Cooking Coal and the impact of global geopolitical tensions on the markets. Experts analyse the implications of these events for investors and the broader economy.
The big talking point of this episode of India First is admissions by Pakistan's top leadership regarding Operation Sindoor.
In a major boost to India's military capabilities, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared procurement proposals worth ₹79,000 crore. India Today's Senior Editor Shivani Sharma reports that this 'biggest DAC approval' includes the MQ-9B drones, Astra Mark-II missile systems, and SPICE-1000 guided kits. The approval also extends the emergency procurement window to January 15. The cleared projects aim to strengthen the Army, Navy, and Air Force with advanced loitering munitions and surveillance platforms.
On this edition of the Business Today show, anchor Sakshi Batra tracks the day's market action as the Sensex hovers around the 85,600 mark and the Nifty nears 26,200. The programme highlights the record-breaking rally in precious metals, with MCX gold hitting a peak of ₹1.38 lakh. The show also focuses on the government's major decision to overhaul the GDP calculation methodology starting February 2026 to include the informal economy. Guest Abhishek Basu Malik, Co-founder and Fund Manager at Sri Rama Managers PMS, joins to discuss market volatility and the outlook for 2026. Additionally, the broadcast covers expected auto price hikes in January and the impact of GST rate cuts.
In this market bulletin, the anchor highlights the Competition Commission of India's probe into IndiGo for alleged abuse of market dominance following recent flight disruptions. The report details the Adani Group's major consolidation of its cement business, with Ambuja Cements approving the merger of ACC and Orient Cement to create a pan-India powerhouse. The broadcast also covers record-breaking highs in gold and silver prices, which a market expert attributes to fears of a monetary reset and global inflation. Additionally, Shriram Finance clarifies it is not seeking a banking license, refuting recent speculation. The segment concludes with a look at the flat market opening, with the Nifty and Bank Nifty showing marginal moves, and specific stock action in the real estate and insurance sectors.
In this special report, the discussion centers on the critical challenges facing the Indian Navy's aviation modernisation and the strategic push for indigenisation. Experts analyse the delicate balance between acquiring immediate foreign platforms like the Rafale Marines and investing in indigenous projects such as the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TED-BF). The conversation highlights the financial constraints of maintaining a 400-aircraft fleet as envisioned in the Atmanirbhar roadmap of 2047. Concerns are raised regarding the delays in indigenous manufacturing and the necessity of foreign collaborations for engine technology. The panel also examines the strategic role of P8I aircraft and MQ-9 drones in establishing a formidable anti-submarine warfare architecture in the Indian Ocean Region. The programme underscores the complexity of achieving self-reliance while ensuring operational readiness against evolving maritime threats.
In a significant move to bolster national security, India is reportedly seeking a major hike in the defence budget for the upcoming financial year. Following 'Operation Sindoor', the Defence Ministry expects a 20% increase in allocation to accelerate military readiness. The transcript highlights a focus on indigenous production, capital outlay, and the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. Key areas for the proposed funding include enhancing air defence systems like the 'Sudarshan Chakra' and aggressive procurement of drones. The report underscores the need for faster modernisation to counter regional security challenges.
In a controversial statement on Vijay Diwas, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan questioned the success of 'Operation Sindoor', claiming India was 'completely defeated' on day one. Chavan also asked, 'Do we need to keep 12 lakhs of soldiers?' suggesting future wars would be aerial. The BJP's C.R. Kesavan condemned the remarks, calling the Congress 'Islamabad National Congress' and accusing the party of insulting the armed forces.
Experts believe that both exports and domestic defence manufacturing will benefit, making the sector one of the strongest investment themes in the market right now.
Following the success of Operation Sindoor, India is considering an additional allocation to its defence budget. Sources suggest an extra Rs 50,000 crore could be allocated for technology, research and development, and arms procurement. The current defence budget stands at a record Rs 6.81 lakh crore. The potential increase is aimed at strengthening India's self-defence strategy, given its geopolitical situation with neighbours like China and Pakistan.
In a big push to the defence manufacturing in India, 25 per cent of the research and development budget of the defence ministry will be earmarked for the domestic private industry, startups and academia, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech.
Pegasus spyware issue is likely to take centre stage as the Budget Session of Parliament begins today. Earlier this week, the New York Times claimed in a report that India purchased Pegasus spyware as part of a defence deal with Israel in 2017. The Opposition parties are planning to raise this in Parliament.
China on Friday increased its defence budget to $209 billion, a 6.8 per cent hike compared to the last year. China’s defence budget hike was announced by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the country’s Parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC). With mega defence budget, is the Dragon trying a fresh war-mongering stunt? This is the top focus on India First today. Watch now!
The Union Budget 2021 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. The capital expenditure in the defence budget has been effectively increased by meagre 0.4 per cent as compared to last year's spending. The total allocation for defence in 2021-22, including pensions, is Rs 4.78 lakh crore compared to Rs 4.71 lakh crore, last year. India Today in an exclusive interview spoke to BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on the on the defense budget allocation in the Union Budge 2021. For more, watch the full video.
All eyes are on how much Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam will allocate for the defence forces as she presents the Union Budget 2021-2022.
