India becomes 5th largest defence spender

India is now the 5th largest defence spender globally, with $86.1 billion allocated in 2024, a reflection of both rising regional threats and the country’s ambition to modernize its military-industrial base.

While the US and China continue to dominate global military budgets, India’s spending is increasingly directed toward local manufacturing, tech upgrades, and border security.

The broader picture: global military expenditure hit a record $2.7 trillion, with over 70% of it coming from just five countries.

This concentration of defence spending underscores a world that’s rapidly rearming, and India is clearly not sitting out.