India and Pakistan's unequal strategic position

Are India's military choices constrained mainly by Pakistan or by finance?

Both matter, although India's larger economy and stronger industrial and geographic position give it advantages that Pakistan cannot readily match.

India's military choices sit within an entrenched rivalry that both countries struggle to move beyond. In this assessment, India's larger economy, industrial position, infrastructure and geography give it substantial advantages. Internal development also competes for Indian resources. Pakistan's aspiration to act as India's peer is set against its smaller scale and pressures along its Indian, Iranian and Afghan borders. Emigration of engineers and scientists adds a further constraint affecting both countries.