'It Isn't About Money': Decoding Global Military Spending vs Development Goals

In a scenario where India is among the five countries accounting for the 70 percent of the military expenditure worldwide, what can be done to bridge the widening gap in development capital?

Mohanty says one way this gap can be bridged is through blended finances. “This happens when public, private, and philanthropic finances all come together. It can’t be done in silos,” he explains.

Speaking to The Quint, Aravindan Srinivasan, Executive Director, Climate Action Platform at AVPN, a social impact network based in Asia, emphasises the importance of localised strategies.

He says,

However, he points out a crucial divide that is likely to remain a challenge. While private investors are showing strong interest in climate mitigation projects, especially in sectors like renewable energy, where financial returns are more tangible, climate adaptation remains largely reliant on public funding.

“Adaptation projects don’t offer the same financial incentives, so they continue to depend heavily on government and institutional support,” he notes.

Further, speaking to The Quint at the AVPN Global Conference for social investors and impact leaders in Hong Kong, Vineet Rai, Founder of the Aavishkaar Group, an impact investing platform, opines,