The border conflict with China in East Ladakh prompted the Indian government to accelerate procurement plans in 2020, as the year ended with more than INR290 billion ($4 billion) of unbudgeted spending.
As the volatile situation continues, capital outlay for the military has been increased by around 18%.
An example is the Spike ATGM from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, partial production of which in India has suffered from bureaucratic delays and lethargy since 2010. However, the crisis with China spurred India to place a priority order for an undisclosed quantity of Spike missiles.
‘The issue with unplanned buys is of