Editing India (section)

==Indian Military==
The modern Indian military can be characterized as a very powerful regional army but with very little ability to project power via navy or air forces.  They've been at a state of continuous low level conflict with both Pakistan and China for decades, which has forced them to focus on being able to win or stalemate a land war above all other concerns.  

This continuous threat of attack also pressed them to develop nuclear weapons as early as the 70's, although it wasn't until the end of the cold war that they would openly declare themselves a nuclear power.  

Because of India's enormous, diverse population, the Indian military retains some anachronistic formations.  Units such as the Sikh Light Infantry, the Gorkha Rifles, and the Punjab Regiment remain, and retain their ethnic-focused recruiting as well as distinct uniforms.  Such units are mostly infantry; armored and artillery units, as well as specialist roles such as the parachute regiment, are "all class", with some armor regiments reckoning their history back to British cavalry.  In a holdover from the British era, the officers are deliberately mixed to compensate for the ethnically homogenous enlisted regiments.

Throughout this article you've seen the Sikhs mentioned.  Here's why: Although they're only 1.7% of India's population, they're about 10% of the Army.  In 1947, they were roughly 1/3rd.  As religions go, Sikhism is particularly into ideas like self-defense and always being ready to protect your community (from Muslims and Mongols, historically speaking).

Contributing to this was a policy from the British that they favored recruiting from the groups that sided WITH THEM in the Rebellion of 1857: Sikhs, Gurkahs, Punjabis, etc.  Even though those recruiting prejudices are long since abandoned, those regions and groups still have a tendency to favor military service to achieve higher status in a country dominated by a Hindu majority. In this endeavor, these ethnic regiments have garnered a fearsome reputation over the last few centuries, with Sikhs renowned for their iron will and discipline, and Gurkhas for their endurance training and ferocity, with both groups boasting some of the most highly decorated units in both the British and Indian Militaries.

Throughout and after the [[Team Yankee|Cold War]], India maintained a healthy arms trade with Russia, in exchange for a policy of deliberate ambivalence towards each other's affairs.  As a result, India was one of the largest customers for equipment such as the [[T-72]] tank and the MiG-21 fighter (both of which they ultimately licensed for domestic production).  Historians have concluded that ultimately the USSR was too eager to buy friends and India perceived this and took full advantage of it to secure good enough hardware at prices they'd never get from the west.