Defence spending has risen to around Rs 5.9 lakh crore from Rs 4.9 lakh crore in FY26 (Budget Estimates), marking a growth of around 19 percent year-on-year.
This underlines the focus on operational capability rather than recurring costs alone. Over the past decade, India’s defence budget has nearly doubled, rising from Rs 3.52 lakh crore in 2016–17 to over Rs 7.8 lakh crore today.
This Budget rightly positions AI and digital innovation as key enablers of a future-ready farm sector.
Growth may be an underlining theme of the Budget 2026-27. But Nirmala Sitharaman's ninth consecutive Budget reflects a decisive shift from incremental preparedness to sustained military strengthening.
The government has set aside Rs 7,84,678 crore as total defence outlay for 2026–27, up from Rs 6,81,210 crore in the previous financial year. This marks a year-on-year increase of more than Rs 1 lakh crore and represents one of the strongest growth rates in recent years.
One might say Op. Sindoor was also responsible but changing geo political challenges cannot be ignored.
Hence in a year India demonstrated 56 inch chest courage and left Pakistan devastated amd showed vulnerability of military prowess of China and US; the Budget curated by Team Modi has opted for a robust double-digit increase in defence spending.
The Defence budget for 2026–27 reflects a decisive shift from incremental preparedness to sustained military strengthening.
The scale and structure of the hike signal the Modi Govt is keen on investing in long-term deterrence and strategic autonomy.
In other words, New Delhi is not only responding to immediate threats as they are emerging by factors such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and of course Pakistan.
Steps proposed are ;
** Raising capital outlay, prioritising high-value platforms.
*** Easing customs duties for defence manufacturing.
The 'orange economy' enters Budget 2026: What it is, and how the govt wants to scale it
Sitharaman said that India's Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector is a rapidly growing industry and is projected to require 2 million professionals by 2030.
Defence budget for 2026/27 seen at 5.95 trillion rupees vs revised 5.68 trillion rupees for 2025/26
*Education budget for 2026/27 seen at 1.39 trillion rupees vs revised 1.22 trillion rupees for 2025/26
Health budget for 2026/27 seen at 1.05 trillion rupees vs revised 946 billion rupees for 2025/26
Sitharamman noted that while India's design industry is expanding rapidly, the country continues to face a shortage of trained designers.
She noted that while India's design industry is expanding rapidly, the country continues to face a shortage of trained designers.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed a strong support for India's creative industries or 'orange economy' to create future-ready creative jobs.
"I propose to support the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, in setting up AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges, Sitharaman said while presenting the Union Budget for 2026-27.
This move is expected to boost India's next-generation creator workforce, powering jobs, startups, etc.
The Economic Survey 2025-26 too had noted that creativity-led sectors including culture, media, entertainment and intellectual property can emerge as significant drivers of employment, urban services and tourism.
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The launch of Bharat Vistaar is a significant step towards empowering farmers with AI-driven, real-time, climate-smart support, helping them make informed decisions, reduce risks from unpredictable weather, optimize inputs, and ultimately improve yields and livelihoods.
The continued focus on precision agri-tech practices supports efficient, sustainable, and climate-resilient farming while enhancing farmers’ incomes.
