India Recruits Short Term Soldiers to Boost Ranks, Curb Spending
- Reduced pension bills seen only after two decades, expert says
- Average age profile of army drops to 25 years with new plan
Indian Army soldiers march during a Republic Day parade in New Delhi in January.
Photographer: T. Narayan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
India is recruiting soldiers for a four-year contract under a new policy called “the path of fire” that is designed to boost employment and cut down on pension bills that account for about a fifth of annual defense spending.
The shift in recruitment for the fourth largest military in the world comes after the pandemic affected enlistment for the past two years. While India’s unemployment has dropped to the lowest in three months, there’s concerns strong economic growth isn’t enough to create more jobs and military enlistment may help.