Military

Jointly developed by Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics,
the Su-30 MKI "Flanker-H" is the Indian Air Force's prime air superiority fighter.

India maintains the third-largest military force in the world, which consists of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and auxiliary forces such as the Paramilitary Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Strategic Forces Command.[42] The official Indian defence budget for 2010 stood at US$31.9 billion (or 2.12% of GDP).[123] According to a 2008 SIPRI report, India's annual military expenditure in terms of PPP stood at US$72.7 billion.[124] The President of India is the supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Defence contractors, such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), oversee indigenous development of sophisticated arms and military equipment, including ballistic missiles, fighter aircraft and main battle tanks, to reduce India's dependence on foreign imports.

China's repeated threats to intervene in the 1965 war in support of Pakistan convinced India to develop nuclear weapons to counter Chinese nuclear tests.[125] India conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1974 and carried out further underground testing in 1998. Despite criticism and military sanctions, India has consistently refused to sign the CTBT and the NPT which it considers to be flawed and discriminatory.[126]

India maintains a "no first use" nuclear policy and is developing a nuclear triad capability as a part of its "minimum credible deterrence" doctrine.[127][128] India also has an advanced ballistic missile defence shield development program and is developing a fifth generation fighter jet in collaboration with Russia.[129][130] Other major indigenous military development projects include Vikrant class aircraft carriers and Arihant class nuclear submarines.[131][132]