Pune, Former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Naravane on Monday said defence expenditure is not a wasteful expense, but it is an insurance premium paid to ensure that war is not forced upon the nation.

In the inter-connected world, India cannot remain insular or cut off from global developments, General Naravane said at the launch of his book ‘Cantonment Conspiracies’ in Pune.

“A Roman scholar in the 5th century AD had said that if you want peace, prepare for war. Why do you want peace? Because peace is a precursor and prerequisite for development. We always use these terms together.

“If you have a peaceful environment, only then will you flourish. Only then will your factories function, your children receive a good education, and you attract investment, whether domestic or foreign. But if that peace is required, then you have to prepare for war, and defence preparedness does not come cheap. It comes at a cost,” he said.

He rejected criticism regarding defence expenditure, stressing that national security cannot be outsourced as it is the primary responsibility of the country to secure itself.

“Several people often question whether defence expenditure is really worth it. Others call it a wasteful expense. After all, at the cost of one Rafale aircraft, you can build 20 schools and run them for a year,” the former Army chief said.

“Expenditure on defence is not a waste. It is an insurance premium. Just as all of us have insurance and pay a premium to cater for an unforeseen event. For extensive coverage, a higher premium must be paid. Similarly, the greater the threats to the nation, the more it will have to be spent on defence,” he added.

Gen Naravane used an insurance analogy to justify the need for defence expenditure.

“Your insurance kicks in only when an incident or accident occurs. In the case of defence expenditure, it prevents the incident from happening in the first place. It prevents war. Therefore, it is much more prudent to spend adequately on defence so that a war is not forced upon you. Because if you look weak, or are perceived as weak, then your enemies will take advantage,” he added.

Citing the example of Russia and Ukraine, the former Army chief said Ukraine had neglected its defence preparedness.

“As they were seen as weak, Russia thought of taking advantage. Within a year of the 2022 invasion, a World Bank report estimated reconstruction costs at USD 400 billion. Had they spent even a fraction of that on defence earlier, they may not have faced this situation,” he added.

He said that money invested in defence keeps circulating and recycling within the economy, which is beneficial for the country’s overall growth.

Union Budget has made a provision of ₹6,81,210.27 crore for the Financial Year 2025-26 for the Ministry of Defence . This allocation is 9.53% more than the Budgetary Estimate of FY 2024-25 and stands at 13.45% of the Union Budget, the highest among the Ministries.

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