New Delhi, March 14: India remains the world’s top arms importer between 2018 and 2022 despite Narendra Modi government’s push towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing, says Stockholm International Peace Research (SIPRI) in its latest report.
SIPRI tracks arms sales around the world and comes out with its study report periodically. India accounts for 11 percent of the total arms import followed by Saudi Arabia (9.6 %), Qatar (6.4%).
The SIPRI report also depicts the rise of French companies as key suppliers with Paris displacing Washington as the second biggest supplier of arms to New Delhi.
Russia continues to be India’s numero uno provider of military hardware, but its share in total Indian arms imports fell from 64 percent to 45 percent between the two time frames.
Moscow’s position is under pressure due to strong competition from other supplier states, enhanced local production and since 2022, constraints due to Russia invasion of Ukraine, because of which there is a higher priority to equip the Russian Army.
India’s arms imports from France, which included 62 combat aircraft and four submarines increased by 489 percent between 2013 and 2017 and 2018 and 2022. France displaced USA to become the second largest supplier to India in 2018-22.
With tensions with China and Pakistan largely fuelling India’s arms import, India retains the top slot as an importer since 1993. The amount of imports, however, dropped by 11 percent when compared between 2013-17 and 2018-22.
EOM
