Amid threats from Pakistan and China, India saw an 11% dip in arms imports between 2013-17 and 2018-22 due to India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ scheme.
According to a report released by the Sweden-based think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday: “India’s tensions with Pakistan and China largely drive its demand for arms imports. With an 11% share of total global arms imports, India was the world’s biggest importer of major arms in 2018-22, a position it has held for the period 1993-2022. It retained this position even though its arms imports dropped by 11% between 2013-17 and 2018-22.”
“The decrease can be attributed to several factors including India’s slow and complex arms procurement process, efforts to diversify its arms suppliers, and attempts to replace imports with major arms that are designed and produced domestically,” the SIPRI report stated.
The last report had showed a 21% dip in defence imports. “Between 2012-16 and 2017-21, Indian arms imports decreased by 21%. Despite this, India was the world’s largest importer of major arms in 2017–21 and accounted for 11% of total global arms imports in the period,” the report released last year had said.
RUSSIA STILL THE LARGEST SUPPLIER
The report said that Russia was the largest supplier of arms to India in both 2013-17 and 2018-22, but its share of total Indian arms imports fell drastically. The report found that from 2013-17 and 2018-22, Russia’s supplies reduced from 64% to 45%. “Russia’s position as India’s main arms supplier is under pressure due to strong competition from other supplier states, increased Indian arms production and, since 2022, the above-mentioned constraints on Russia’s arms exports related to its invasion of Ukraine,” it stated.
On the other side, India has seen a massive increase of supplies from France. “India’s arms imports from France, which included 62 combat aircraft and 4 submarines, increased by 489% between 2013-17 and 2018-22. France therefore displaced the USA to become the second largest supplier to India in 2018-22,” the report released on Monday stated.
During Aero India, when Russia is in war, it came with largest ever contingent along with F-35 which had turned heads.
CHINA-PAK DEFENCE DEALS
The report spoke about the import of Pakistan as well. According to the report, arms imports by Pakistan increased by 14% between 2013-17 and 2018-22 and accounted for 3.7% of the global total. China supplied over three quarters (77%) of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2018-22. Till 2021, as per the report released last year, China was sharing around 72% of the total imports by Pakistan from China.
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.
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