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Defence spending is insurance against war, says former Army chief Naravane
Former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Naravane (retd) on Monday described defence expenditure not as wasteful spending but as a necessary 'insurance premium' to ensure the nation is not compelled into war. Gen. Naravane further elaborated that, unlike conventional insurance, which pays out after a crisis, defence spending aims to prevent catastrophe. (HT)
Speaking at the launch of his book Cantonment Conspiracies in Pune, Gen. Naravane stressed the importance of remaining engaged in an interconnected world. 'A Roman thinker once said, 'If you want peace, prepare for war.' Peace is the bedrock of progress and prosperity. Without it, factories won't function, children won't receive quality education, and investments, domestic or foreign, will not come,' he said.
Addressing criticism that defence budgets divert funds from welfare, he argued, 'Some say the money could be used to build schools or fund healthcare. But national security cannot be outsourced; it is the government's foremost responsibility. Defence spending is like paying an insurance premium: the greater the risk, the higher the premium. Similarly, the more serious the threats a nation faces, the more it must invest in its defence.'
Gen. Naravane further elaborated that, unlike conventional insurance, which pays out after a crisis, defence spending aims to prevent catastrophe. 'If a nation appears weak, adversaries will attempt to exploit that. Adequate preparedness ensures deterrence,' he said.
Citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he argued that Ukraine's underinvestment in defence enabled Russian aggression in 2022. 'Within a year, the World Bank estimated the cost of reconstruction at $400 billion. Had Ukraine spent even a fraction of that on military preparedness earlier, it might have averted such devastation,' he said.
He also noted that defence spending fuels economic growth. 'It does not disappear into a void. It circulates within the economy, creating jobs, boosting industries, and fostering innovation,' he said.
For FY 2025–26, the Union Budget has allocated ₹6.81 lakh crore to the Ministry of Defence, marking a 9.53% increase over the previous year. At 13.45% of the total budget, it remains the single-largest allocation among all ministries.
