Context: Ukraine, involved in a war with Russia for the past 4 years, has surpassed India to become the world’s largest arms importer as per Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Report: Key Trends.
About SIPRI
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an independent international institute dedicated to research on conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament established in 1966.
- It publishes reports on global arms transfers, tracking trends in arms imports and exports.
- It aims to provide data-driven insights for policy-making in global security and military affairs.
Major Highlights of the SIPRI Report (2025):
- Ukraine became the largest importer of major arms in 2020-24, with a nearly 100-fold increase compared to 2015-19, due to the ongoing war with Russia.
- India ranked as the second-largest importer of major arms, accounting for 8.3% of global imports. Indian arms imports declined by 9.3% from 2015-19 to 2020-24, primarily due to increasing domestic production.
- Russia’s arms exports fell by 64%, reducing its share to 7.8%, making it the third-largest exporter after the US (43%) and France (9.6%).
- Four Asian countries—India, Pakistan, Japan, and Australia—ranked among the top 10 importers of arms globally.
- The US and French arms exports increased, while Russia, China, and Germany’s exports declined.
- China dropped out of the top 10 arms importers for the first time since 1990-94, showcasing its growing domestic industrial base.
India’s position in global Arms Trade:
- India was the top destination for arms exports from both Russia and France.
- The largest share of Indian arms imports (36%) came from Russia. The share of Russian arms imports in India has declined significantly:
- 2010-14: 72%
- 2015-19: 55%
- 2020-24: 36%
- India’s shift in suppliers is evident with increasing arms procurements from France, Israel, and the US.
- Major defence deals with France:
- 36 Rafale jets (delivered)
- 6 Scorpene-class conventional submarines (P-75; all six submarines launched)
- 26 Rafale-M jets and 3 submarines (pending finalisation)
India’s Self-Reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in defence:
- India’s defence production reached a record ₹1.27 trillion in 2023-24, marking a 17.25% growth—a seven-year high.
- Since 2020-21, a large share of the capital acquisition budget has been allocated to domestic procurement.
- 2025-26 budget: ₹1.115 trillion (75% of total ₹1.49 trillion) earmarked for domestic acquisitions.
- Increasing ability to design and produce indigenous weapons reduces reliance on imports.
The SIPRI report points to India reducing dependency on Russian arms, and France gaining prominence as India’s key supplier. Simultaneously, the rise of indigenous defence production in India aligns with the government’s push for self-reliance.