A Swedish think tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that India’s arms imports is decreased by 33% between 2011 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020
Key findings of the report
- · India continues to remain the second largest arms importer after Saudi Arabia.
- · A drop in arms imports between 2011 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020 is mainly due to its complex and lengthy procurement processes and it tried to reduce its dependence on Russian arms by diversifying its network of arms suppliers.
- · Russia was the largest arms supplier in both periods.
- · Russia’s deliveries dropped by 53% between the two periods and its share of Indian arms imports fell from 70 to 49%.
- · The U.S. was the second largest arms supplier to India in 2011 to 2015 but in 2016 to 2020, India’s arms imports from the U.S. were 46% lower than in the previous five-year period, making the U.S. the fourth-largest supplier in 2016 to 2020.
- · France and Israel were the second and third largest arms suppliers in 2016 to 2020
India’s plans over the next 5 years
- · India is facing threats from Pakistan and China and as its ambitious plans to produce its own major arms have been significantly delayed, it is planning large-scale programmes for arms imports.
- · Based on its outstanding deliveries of combat aircraft, air defence systems, ships and submarines, India’s arms imports are expected to increase over the coming 5 years