New Delhi: Despite a decline in defence imports and rise in domestic and indigenous production, India continues to be among the world’s leading arms importers.
According to latest data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India is the second-largest importer of major weapons, with an 8.2% share of global arms imports.
War-torn Ukraine, which has had to defend itself against Russian military attacks since February 2022, leads the list with a 9.7 per cent share.
India, in fact, was t
he top arms importer between 2019 and 2023, accounting for a share of around 9.8%. However, recent assessments show that the share has fallen to about 8.3%, SIPRI’s report said.
The Indian government has been modernising its Armed forces and aiming to achieve self-reliance in defence production through indigenous manufacturing and technology partnerships. Last year’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan marked a milestone in India’s journey towards technological self-reliance in military operations, with indigenous systems such as the Akash demonstrating stellar performance.
The is to bring down reliance on arms imports even further.
SIPRI’s data points to changing sourcing patterns of India’s military acquisitions. Russia remains India’s largest supplier, accounting for about 40% of our arms imports. France has emerged as the second-largest supplier with around 29% share, while Israel (15%) is a distant third.