New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- In the Union Budget post-Operation Sindoor, the Defence Services have received an unprecedented allocation of Rs 7.85 lakh crore for Financial Year (FY) 2026-27. This allocation is 2% of the estimated GDP for the next Financial Year and represents a 15.19% increase over the Budgetary Estimates (BE) for FY 2025-26, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The total defence budget is 14.67% of the Central Government expenditure and is the highest among the Ministries.

In addition to modernising the Armed Forces and financing their regular requirements, the significantly enhanced allocation will also cover the financial requirements arising from the emergency procurement of arms and ammunition undertaken subsequent to Ope...