India Retains Position as World’s 2nd Largest Arms Importer Amid Strategic Supplier Shift: SIPRI Report

This reduction reflects India’s growing capacity to design and produce its own weapons, though delays in domestic production continue to plague the system. The report notes that India’s recent and planned orders — including up to 140 combat aircraft from France and six submarines from Germany — show that reliance on foreign suppliers is far from over. Russia, France, and Israel remain India’s principal suppliers, but the balance has shifted. Russia’s share of Indian arms imports has dropped sharply from 70 per cent in 2011–15 to 40 per cent in 2021–25, while France and Israel now account for 29 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

The shift is strategic and reflects India’s changing geopolitical calculations. For decades, Russia was India’s dominant supplier, but the Ukraine war and Moscow’s growing closeness with Beijing have forced New Delhi to diversify. France has stepped in with Rafale fighter jets and submarine deals, while Israel has become a crucial partner in missile defence and surveillance systems. The United States, though not yet a top supplier, has steadily increased its footprint in India’s defence procurement, particularly in transport aircraft and drones. This diversification is not just about technology but about politics: India is hedging against overdependence on any single partner, especially one whose global standing is uncertain.

India’s tensions with both China and Pakistan continue to drive imports. The brief armed clashes with Pakistan in May 2025 demonstrated the need for advanced weaponry, as both sides relied heavily on imported arms. Pakistan itself has become the fifth-largest importer, accounting for 4.2 per cent of global imports, a 66 per cent rise from the previous block. China supplied 80 per cent of Pakistan’s weapons, with Turkey and the Netherlands trailing behind. This dynamic underscores the regional arms race: as Pakistan increases imports, India feels compelled to maintain superiority, and as China arms Pakistan, India seeks Western technology to counterbalance.

Globally, arms transfers are at their highest since 2011–15. The United States dominates the market, supplying 42 per cent of all international arms transfers in 2021–25, up from 36 per cent in 2016–20. Washington exported weapons to 99 states, including 35 in Europe, 18 in the Americas, 17 in Africa, 17 in Asia and Oceania, and 12 in the Middle East. France has emerged as the second-largest supplier, accounting for 9.8 per cent of global exports, while Russia ranks third, and Germany has overtaken China to claim fourth place. These figures highlight the shifting balance in global arms trade, with Western suppliers consolidating dominance as Russia’s share declines.

For India, the SIPRI report paints a complex picture. On one hand, the reduction in dependence is a positive sign, reflecting progress in domestic defence production. Initiatives like “Make in India” and the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s projects have begun to yield results, from indigenous artillery systems to naval platforms. On the other hand, the persistence of large-scale imports highlights the unfinished journey toward true self-reliance. Delays in production, technological gaps, and bureaucratic hurdles continue to hamper India’s ability to meet its own defence needs.

The argument is clear: India cannot afford complacency. Facing two nuclear-armed neighbours and recurring border tensions, the balance between domestic production and foreign procurement is not just an economic choice but a matter of national security. The diversification of suppliers reduces vulnerability, but dependence persists. True self-reliance will require not just policy slogans but sustained investment, technological innovation, and institutional reform. Until then, India will remain one of the world’s largest arms importers, caught between progress and dependence, between aspiration and reality.