Budget 2026: Agnipath scheme gets ₹17,396cr allocation
India
This year's Union Budget has given the Agnipath scheme a major push, with funding jumping 58% to ₹17,396 crore.
The overall defense budget also got a 15% hike, reaching ₹7.85 lakh crore after recent tensions with Pakistan.
More Agniveers to be recruited
Agnipath is the fast-track military recruitment program launched in 2022.
With this extra funding, the Army's share alone is up by 61%, and more young people—the total number of recruits had grown to 1.75 lakh by the end of 2025—can now join as Agniveers.
They get a monthly salary of ₹30,000-₹40,000 and a tax-free exit package of ₹11.7 lakh after four years.
Sources in the defense and security establishment say this money will help expand training and infrastructure so more youth can serve.