Defence Budget's Arcane Format Makes It a Largely Unresolved Puzzle If the definition of Indiaâs defence budget is suitably aligned with analogous international practice, it can do away with the ambiguity that presently prevails. India's "Akash" missiles, mounted on a truck, are displayed during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi January 26, 2007. Credit: Reuters/B. Mathur/Files Government22/Feb/2021 Like most official documents, Indiaâs defence budget is a mystifying puzzle, necessitating a mix of patience, intellectual dexterity, experience, and informed guesswork to decipher it. Even then, one is almost certain to not get an accurate picture. Fundamental questions like how much has been allocated for defence expenditure during a particular fiscal and what has been the increase vis-Ã -vis the previous year can elicit varying responses.