SIPRI Report on India’s Arms Imports

About India’s Arms Imports:

• India remained the world’s largest arms importer for the five-year period between 2018-22.
• India accounted for an 11 percent share of total global arms imports in 2018–22.
• Russia accounted for 45% is India’s imports, followed by France (29%) and the US (11%).
• 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 from 64% to 45%.
• India has seen an 11 percent drop in its arms import between 2013-17 and 2018-22.
• India was the biggest arms export market to three countries — Russia, France, and Israel and the second largest export market to South Korea.

Highlights of the SIPRI Report:

• The US was the world’s topmost military exporter in the past five years, accounting for 40% of global exports, followed by Russia (16%), France (11%), China (5.2%), and Germany (4.2%).
• United States' share of global arms exports increased from 33 to 40 percent, while Russia's fell from 22 to 16 percent between 2013-17 and 2018-22.
• France’s arms exports jumped 44% between 2013-17 and 2018-22, with India receiving 30% of its exports during the past five years.

 

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Q1) What is the 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, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. Based in Stockholm, SIPRI is regularly ranked among the most respected think tanks worldwide.

Source: India remains biggest arms importer between 2018-22 despite drop in overall imports