• Injamul Hoque

Abstract: In this era of globalisation almost every country of the world today is busy in increasing their military strength. According to the Global Fire Power Index, India ranks fourth in the list of militarily powerful countries. The United States is at the top of that list, Russia is at second and India's neighbour China is at third. According to the World Index 2023 report, Britain ranked fifth and South Korea is in sixth position. While Pakistan is weak in terms of finances, it ranked seventh in terms of military. It is followed by Japan, France and Italy respectively. The Ultimate Military Strength Index is created based on various factors, such as the number of military personnel, the total amount of money allocated by the government to the public sector, the total number of personnel to take up the air force and the military, their average salary, the weight of weapons held by the military, etc. India has gradually taken care of all these issues since its independence and today it has emerged as the fourth largest military powerful country in the world, where everyone lives unitedly, irrespective of caste, creed and classes. There is unity and diversity in everything which is the main factor that holds India’s territory. Post-independence India has faced many internal disturbance and foreign invasions from neighbourhood at various times but no part of India's territory was lost. Today India is the most populous country in the world due to which there is no lack of sufficient workers in the country. So it can be said that military power has helped to increase national power in India. But there are many reasons behind how India became such a powerful country today. For example, China's aggression and threat to India during Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure as Prime Minister, which resulted in the Indo-China War of 1962, the debut of China's nuclear power in 1964, the Indo-Pak War in 1965, etc., led India to expand its military capabilities for self-defence. Just 10 years after China's nuclear debut, India also detonated a nuclear bomb named Smiling Buddha on 18 May 1974 at Pokhran, Rajasthan. As a result, India gained a new reputation in the military field in Southeast Asia and in the entire world. In the past, the United States, Soviet Russia, Britain and France have emerged as nuclear powers. So the Indian government and Indian researchers realizes that expansion of military power is desirable in order to gain influence in world politics and foreign policy. But India has never attacked others by itself. Because India wants to solve bilateral problems through peaceful settlement. But when India was attacked, India did not hesitate to counterattack. In 1998, India tested a nuclear bomb for the second time, and in 1999, Pakistan identified itself as its arch-enemy over Kashmir. So it can be said that India's strategy is more like John Mearsheimer's defensive realism. Today in the age of globalization India has huge powers like USA, Russia, Britain, China and France. India will strengthen the place of global governance in the upcoming days.

Keywards: Military, Evolution, Modernisation, Strategic Relation, Transformation

"The Expansion Of Indian Military Power in 21st Century", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 8, page no.d445-d451, August-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2308356.pdf

"The Expansion Of Indian Military Power in 21st Century", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 8, page no. ppd445-d451, August-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2308356.pdf