India vs Pakistan: A 2025 Military Strength Comparison Amid Fresh Border Tensions

Following the Kashmir terror attack, here’s how South Asia’s nuclear-armed arch-rivals compare in manpower, firepower, and global military rankings.

New Delhi, May-1:
As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan after the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, a renewed focus has turned toward the military capabilities of the two nuclear-armed neighbours. With India responding to ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), questions are being raised about how the two nations stack up in terms of defence strength.

Also Read: ISI Chief Mohammad Asim Malik Appointed Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Amid Rising India Tensions

Here’s a 10-point comparison of India and Pakistan’s military might as of 2025:

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1. Active Personnel & Paramilitary Forces:

• India: 14.75 lakh active military personnel and 16.16 lakh paramilitary police.
• Pakistan: 6.6 lakh active personnel and 2.91 lakh paramilitary forces.

Also Read: India Closes Airspace to Pakistan Amid Rising Tensions Post-Kashmir Terror Attack

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2. Air Power:

• India: 1,437 fixed-wing aircraft and 995 helicopters.
• Pakistan: 812 fixed-wing aircraft and 322 helicopters.

Also Read: India Blocks Instagram Accounts of Pakistani Celebrities After Kashmir Attack

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3. Ground Strength:

• India: 7,074 Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) and 11,225 artillery units.
• Pakistan: 6,137 AFVs and 4,619 artillery pieces. The AFV gap remains narrow.

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4. Defence Budgets (2025):

• India: $81 billion
• Pakistan: $10 billion

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5. Nuclear Capabilities:

• India: Primarily land-based nuclear delivery systems, air-delivered bombs, and expanding submarine-based platforms. Developing intercontinental ballistic missiles.
• Pakistan: Land- and air-launched nuclear weapons; seeking submarine-launched nuclear cruise missiles.

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6. Global Military Ranking (GFP 2025):

• India: Ranked 4th out of 145 countries, with a PowerIndex score of 0.1184 (lower is better).
• Pakistan: Ranked 12th, with a PowerIndex score of 0.2513.

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7. Weapons Imports & Suppliers:

India remains the world’s largest arms importer, sourcing weapons primarily from Russia, while expanding deals with the US, France, Israel, and boosting indigenous defence production.

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8. Indigenous Military Development:

India is advancing production of aircraft carriers, submarines, helicopters, and missile systems to reduce foreign dependence.

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9. Previous Escalation – 2019 Balakot Strike:

The last major military confrontation occurred in February 2019, when India launched an airstrike deep inside Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) targeting a terror camp, in response to the Pulwama suicide bombing.

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10. Current Tensions:

The killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam and the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan have heightened fears of another military escalation. India’s response, both diplomatically and militarily, signals a firm stance amid worsening cross-border ties.

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Tags:

India Pakistan military comparison, 2025 defence budgets, India Pakistan tensions, Pahalgam attack, Balakot airstrike, Global Firepower Index, SIPRI data, nuclear capabilities, Indian Armed Forces, Pakistani military strength