Bhubaneswar, Feb. 15 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday underlined the importance of constant military preparedness, asserting that India must remain strong at all times to tackle evolving security challenges.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, he said the benefits of a decade of defence reforms were visible during Operation Sindoor and reaffirmed his government's commitment to modernising the armed forces.

In the Union Budget 2026-27, the government has allocated a record Rs 7.85 lakh crore to the defence sector, a 15 per cent increase over the previous year and the highest share for any ministry. Of this, Rs 1.85 lakh crore has been earmarked for modernisation, marking a 25 per cent rise. Capital expenditure for the three serv...