How much does India really spend on defense?
A1: On paper, India spends $32.7 billion, about 3% of its GDP on defense, after an increase of 34% for 2010. In reality, India spends closer to 3.5% of its GDP on defense. Here’s what Col.(Retd) Pavan Nair of the Indian Army has to say about it in a recent guest post on Haq’s Musings: India’s own specified limit of 3% has been observed only by excluding several items like the cost of the MoD and the expenditure on military pensions which by itself amounts to 15% of the total defense outlay. Several other items like the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI, a regular regiment of the army consisting of thirteen battalions) and the Coast Guard are also excluded. A substantial part of the cost of the nuclear arsenal and allied systems is excluded. All para-military forces including the ones directly involved in border management are excluded. The Parliamentary Committee on Defense spends most of its time on personnel matters and resolving issues of protocol between the service chiefs an
