Security is built, not bought.
Security is an economic question before it is a military one. A country that cannot make its own engines, chips and missiles rents its safety from someone else. This root gathers what India has, what it lacks, what it has fought and what it must build, with every number sourced.
Two positions, stated plainly.
Keep AMCA as our fifth generation. Join a sixth-generation programme as a co-developer.
A fighter takes twenty years to design. India cannot afford to start its sixth generation alone in 2040. Build AMCA at home and sit at the table now as a co-developer of the next one. The Franco-German FCAS fighter collapsed in June 2026. France now builds its own and the Defence Secretary says India has expressed interest. The UK–Italy–Japan GCAP is open to new members. The window to join before designs freeze is closing.
Co-produce with the best now. Be self-reliant by the 2030s. Let exports pay for it.
BrahMos showed the path. A partner brings the first design, India learns to build it, then designs the next one alone and sells it abroad. Defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26. Three quarters of the capital budget is now reserved for Indian industry.
The state of India’s security in ten numbers.
- ₹7.85 lakh cr Defence allocation, 2026-27: The highest ever. 14.67% of central spending.
- ₹1.78 lakh cr Defence production, 2025-26: A record, up 15.6%.
- ₹38,424 cr Defence exports, 2025-26: A record, up about 62%.
- 29 of 42 Fighter squadrons: Against the 42 sanctioned, after the MiG-21 retired.
- 3 Nuclear missile submarines: INS Aridhaman joined in Apr 2026 (reported).
- ~190 Nuclear warheads: China about 620. Pakistan about 170 (SIPRI, Jan 2026).
- 70% → 40% Russia’s share of India’s arms imports: 2011-15 to 2021-25 (SIPRI).
- 126 → 2 Districts hit by Maoist violence: 2014 to 2026.
- 29.44 lakh Cyber incidents handled by CERT-In, 2025: 2.5 times the 2020 count.
- 88% Crude oil imported: Apr–Sep 2026. Energy is security.
Sources: PIB Budget 2026-27; Defence Minister, 17 Jun 2026; Tribune, Jul 2025; SIPRI 2026; PIB, 19 Jun 2026; IANS, Jan 2026; PPAC, Oct 2026.