Brahmos or Bharat?

India's exorbitantly expensive retaliation following the Pahalgam attack was necessary but exposed an economic paradox—strength lies in strategic growth, not escalation, to outpace a fragile rival

- SHAUNAK ROY

Last week, when Indian BrahMos missiles soared over the Line of Control, every missile costing Rs 34 crore carried a sour irony: the price of one round was possibly more than Pakistan's daily defense budget. While Operation Sindoor was orchestrated with sheer tactical brilliance, it has revealed a dangerous paradox. India's military competence, embodied in hypersonic missiles and AI-guided drones, can be a double-edged sword—capable of destroying terror camps while, at the same time, threatening our economic ambitions.

Let us not beat around the bush: India had every reason to strike back after the dastardly massacre in the picturesque tourism hotspot of Pahalgam. When terrorists slaughtered 26 innocents in Kashmir's scenic valleys, surgical strikes were not only warranted but justified. But as smoke hangs over flattened terror camps, the economic repercussions are only just starting. The rupee, already battered at Rs 90/USD, shed another 1.5 per cent hours after the strikes. Investor sentiment, so crucial to our USD 5 trillion fantasy, drained Rs 7 lakh crore from markets in three days. Pakistan's economy may be going down the drain—its IMF lifeline and 0.7 per cent inflation are hilarious Band-Aids on a gangrenous fiscal body—but we're learning the hard way that when your neighbour's house catches fire, your own windows shatter.