India Approves $25 Billion Major Arms Purchase to Strengthen Defense Capabilities

New Delhi: India has approved defense procurement proposals worth $25 billion, including transport aircraft, Russian S-400 missile systems, and remotely piloted strike aircraft, as the country accelerates military modernization and replenishes equipment after recent regional conflicts.

The approvals come just a month after India sanctioned a separate $40 billion package to acquire additional French Rafale fighter jets for the air force and Boeing P-8I reconnaissance aircraft for the navy. Friday’s decisions also include purchases of armor-piercing tank ammunition, artillery systems, aerial surveillance equipment, and hovercraft for the coast guard, along with upgrades to extend the operational life of Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of Defense.

Additionally, India signed a 4.45 billion rupee ($47 million) contract with Russia’s JSC Rosoboronexport to acquire Tunguska air defense missile systems for the army.

In total, India has approved 55 defense proposals worth 6.73 trillion rupees ($71 billion) and signed contracts for 503 proposals totaling 2.28 trillion rupees in the fiscal year ending March 31, the highest figures ever recorded in a single year, the ministry said.

As the world’s fifth-largest military spender and the second-largest arms importer after Ukraine, India has been modernizing its mostly Soviet-era equipment and increasingly sourcing weapons and technology from France, Israel, the United States, and Germany. In recent years, the country has emphasized domestic production, developing everything from drones and firearms to fighter jets and submarines, either independently or in partnership with foreign firms.

India’s recent military buildup follows a tense four-day conflict with Pakistan last year, the most intense in decades, and years of a stand-off with China along the Himalayan border, which ended in 2024 with a pullback and efforts to repair bilateral relations.