India Budget: Few sectors in post-liberalisation India have witnessed transformation as rapid, sustained and strategically driven as the defence industry. What was once a closed, import-dependent and public-sector-dominated domain has, within a decade, been reshaped through relentless policy reform, institutional overhaul and political prioritisation.In today's turbulent global backdrop marked by geopolitical fragmentation, trade wars, sanctions regimes and rising military conflict, it is a big moment for Indian defence industry to leverage its growth momentum.. As global supply chains splinter and nations seek trusted, diversified partners, defence manufacturing has emerged as one of the rare sectors where economic competitiveness, strategic autonomy and geopolitical relevance converge. At a time when India’s broader economy faces headwinds from protectionism, tariffs and slowing global demand, defence offers the potential to act as a 'power-lifter', a sector capable of anchoring industrial growth, driving exports, deepening technological capability and strengthening national resilience simultaneously.