India is amongst the world’s largest arms importers, accounting for 11 per cent of global imports, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

India’s arm imports

• India’s overall imports decreased by 21% between 2012-16 and 2017-21 but that it was still the world’s biggest importer of military hardware.
• Russia, France and the US are India’s biggest suppliers of arms, accounting for 46%, 27% and 12% of the country’s imports in the last five years.
• India’s share of global arms imports stood at 11% during 2017-21 compared to 14% in the previous five-year period.

Dependence on Russia is declining

• Russia’s arms exports to India fell 47% between 2012-16 and 2017-21 even though the deliveries of several platforms including air defence systems and warships are pending.
• Russia was the largest supplier of major weapons and systems to India during the two comparative five-year periods.

Significance of the report

• The report has come at a time when India’s dependence on Russian military hardware, ranging from fighter jets to rifles and submarines to shoulder-fired missiles has come into sharp focus.
• Though India has been procuring US military hardware in growing numbers about 60% of the weapons inventory of the three services continues to be of Russian-origin.
• It is still unclear how the new sanctions against Russia could play out and the problems they could create for the armed forces in the short and long term.
• The possible impact of Russia’s unprecedented economic isolation on India’s military preparedness and the serviceability of weapons and equipment is threatened.

Is it a matter of relief?

• India has major plans for arms imports because of perceived threats from China and Pakistan, and due to significant delays in indigenous production.
• The drop in India’s arms imports is, therefore, probably a temporary result of its slow and complex procurement process as well as its shift in suppliers.

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