India’s changing security doctrine

Over the last eleven years, India’s defence and internal security policies have undergone a marked transformation. Defence budgets have expanded, indigenisation has accelerated, and responses to terrorism have become more forceful. On the home front, Left-Wing Extremism has ebbed, and technology has been woven into national security planning. These are real shifts — signalling a country more confident about its ability to safeguard itself.

Yet the story is not one of triumph alone. The pace of reforms, the depth of self-reliance, and the sustainability of the current model all remain open questions. In other words, India has undoubtedly changed the way it thinks about security — but whether this amounts to long-term resilience or short-term momentum is still up for debate.

The Numbers: A More Assertive India

India’s defence expenditure has risen from `2.53 lakh crore in 2013–14 to `6.81 lakh crore in 2025–26. Domestic defence production hit a record `1.50 lakh crore in 2024–25, more than triple the level a decade ago. Exports too have multiplied — from negligible levels to `23,622 crore last year, with over 100 countries, including the United States and France, sourcing Indian equipment.

These are impressive figures, but they need context. While defence spending has increased, India still spends a lower proportion of GDP on defence than China or the United States. Production and export growth, though substantial, remain tilted toward less complex systems such as patrol vessels, radars, and armoured vehicles; indigenous capability in advanced technologies like jet engines or long-range drones remains limited. The gap between ambition and actual technological mastery is still wide.

Reform and Indigenisation: Gains and Gaps

The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, the ‘Make’ categories for MSMEs and start-ups, liberalised FDI, and initiatives like iDEX and the Technology Development Fund have opened the system. Indigenisation lists have gradually squeezed imports, while offset rules and strategic partnerships have sought to attract technology transfer.

But while reforms have multiplied, their outcomes vary. For example, the Strategic Partnership model has faced delays and indecision. Private sector enthusiasm exists, yet the defence ecosystem is still dominated by DPSUs and a risk-averse bureaucracy. Indigenisation lists ban imports, but Indian alternatives are not always ready. As a result, armed forces sometimes face delays in acquiring critical capabilities.

Self-reliance remains more aspiration than achievement. India has reduced import dependency in some areas, but cutting-edge platforms — from fighter jet engines to submarines — still rely heavily on foreign suppliers.

Stronger Responses to Terror: The ‘New Normal’

India’s external security posture has undeniably hardened. The surgical strikes after Uri (2016), the Balakot airstrikes (2019), and most recently Operation Sindoor in 2025, which struck terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK, represent a willingness to act decisively across the border. The Modi government’s doctrine of “decisive retaliation” has ended the ambiguity that once defined India’s approach to cross-border terror.

But this too has limits. Tactical strikes strengthen deterrence in the short run, but they do not alter the structural drivers of militancy across the border. Pakistan’s capacity to incubate terror networks remains, even if temporarily checked. Unless paired with sustained diplomatic, intelligence, and development strategies, forceful retaliation risks becoming episodic rather than transformative.

Futuristic Ambitions: Sudarshan Chakra Mission

Announced in 2025, the Sudarshan Chakra Mission aims to develop predictive technologies, precision-targeted systems, and a comprehensive national security shield by 2035 — all built in India. It is a bold idea, but one still at the level of vision rather than delivery. India has often been good at drafting roadmaps; execution is where projects falter. Whether this mission avoids the fate of earlier ambitious but delayed programmes — from the Arjun tank to the Tejas fighter jet — will be the real test.

Internal Security: Development as Deterrence

On the domestic front, India has seen measurable success. Left-Wing Extremism has sharply declined, with incidents of violence dropping from nearly 2,000 a decade ago to 374 in 2024. Civilian and security casualties have fallen by 85%. More than 8,000 Naxalites have surrendered or abandoned violence.

Credit here is due not just to security operations but to governance: new roads, schools, communication networks, and welfare programmes have narrowed the space for insurgency. The challenge will be to ensure that this development is sustained, inclusive, and resilient to political change. If governance slips, extremism could resurface in new forms.

A striking feature of recent years is the expansion of security beyond the battlefield. Foodgrain production has risen to nearly 354 million tonnes in 2024–25, ensuring resilience against global shocks. Financial inclusion has deepened dramatically, with over 56 crore Jan Dhan accounts and women constituting a majority of account holders.

At the same time, India has sought to carve out space in technology, from semiconductor projects to AI integration in defence. These are important steps: in the 21st century, national security will depend as much on chips, data, and supply chains as on tanks and missiles.

Yet here too the record is mixed. Semiconductor plans have attracted investment, but actual fabrication capacity is still in infancy. AI roadmaps have been drawn, but deployment in real combat systems remains limited.

What Lies Ahead

The real challenge is not whether India has moved forward — it has — but whether it is moving fast and deep enough. The geopolitical environment is unforgiving: China’s military modernisation outpaces India’s, Pakistan remains unpredictable, and new domains such as cyber and space are becoming central to warfare.

India’s reforms have built momentum, but sustaining it requires institutionalising processes, not relying on political will alone. Procurement cycles must be faster, R&D funding must deepen, and accountability mechanisms must ensure projects meet deadlines. Otherwise, the danger is that today’s gains will not translate into tomorrow’s resilience.

Strength With Sobriety

India’s defence and security policies under the Modi government mark a clear break from the past. Budgets are higher, reforms deeper, and responses sharper. But celebrating numbers without acknowledging the gaps risks complacency.

The path forward requires balancing confidence with caution: building on the gains of indigenisation while honestly recognising continuing dependencies; responding firmly to terror while pairing it with long-term strategy; investing in futuristic missions while ensuring delivery on present capabilities.

India is no longer the hesitant power it once was. But true security comes not from episodic strength but from sustained capacity, institutional resilience, and strategic foresight. That is the challenge the next decade must meet — if India is to secure not just its borders, but its place as a credible global power.