India, Feb. 13 -- Wars do not begin with the first shot; they begin with years of neglected preparedness. When Operation Sindoor unfolded in May 2025, India demonstrated political resolve and operational precision. What it also revealed, less comfortably, were challenges in certain areas. The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on February 1, is the first opportunity for the government to respond institutionally to those lessons. With a record defence allocation of '7.85 lakh crore, it seeks to do exactly that.

The 15 per cent increase over last year's allocation of '6.81 lakh crore marks the largest year-on-year jump in a decade. More importantly, it signals a shift in strategic prioritisation. Defence now accounts for roughly 14.6 per cent...