India remains world’s largest importer of arms: SIPRI report

Subject : Defense

Concept :

As per the report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has remained the world’s largest arms importer between 2018 and 2022 despite there being a drop in imports by around 11% between 2013-2017 and 2018-2022.
According to the report, Russia was the largest arms supplier to India from 2013 to 2022. However, the percentage of total imports from Russia has fallen from 64% to 45%.
France has displaced the US (11%) to become the second-largest supplier of arms to India, accounting for close to 30% of its defence imports.
The latest report has also revealed that:
Among the top 10 arms exporters for the period 2018 to 2022, India was the biggest arms export market to Russia, France and Israel.
India has been the second-largest export market to South Korea and the third-largest market for South Africa.
Saudi Arabia is the second largest arms importer after India.
While India’s tensions with its neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and China have been the major drivers in the arms imports and the decrease in the share of imports compared to the 2013-2017 period is mainly on account of India’s slow and complex arms procurement process, efforts to diversify arms suppliers, and the attempts by the government to achieve self-reliance in the defence sector.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
Established in 1966 and based in Stockholm (Sweden), SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.
It is regularly ranked among the most respected think tanks.