India is world’s largest arms importer

According to the latest report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India remained the world’s largest arms importer from 2018 to 2022 followed by Saudi Arabia.

Key highlights of the report:

• The data showed three largest arms exporter to India remains;
  • Russia was the largest arms supplier in the periods between 2013-17 and 2018-22.
  • France emerged as the second-largest arms supplier to India between 2018-22 at 29 per cent, and 
  • The United States (US) at 11 per cent.
• However, the share of arms imports from Russia to India fell from 64 per cent to 45 per cent.
• Reason for arms import: India’s tensions with Pakistan and China largely drive its demand for arms imports.
• Other arms exporters to India remains;
  • India also imported arms during this five-year period from Israel, South Korea, and South Africa which are among the top arms exporters globally.
• Imported Items of key importance to India:
  • India’s arms import from France included 62 combat aircraft and four submarines.
• India as Arms exporter:
  • India was the third-largest arms supplier to Myanmar during this period after Russia and China and comprised 14 per cent of its imports. 
• Imports for other Neighbours of India: 
  • The report stated that 77 per cent of Pakistan’s arms supply in 2018-22 came from China.
  • The report said imports of major arms by European states increased by 47 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22 in the backdrop of the war in Ukraine even as the global volume of international arms transfers fell by 5.1 per cent.
• Russia remains at top exporter to other nations: 
  • Two-thirds of Russian arms exports went to India, China, and Egypt in 2018-22 — at 31 per cent, 23 per cent, and 9.3 per cent, respectively. 
  • While Russian arms exports went down by 37 per cent between the two periods, exports to China and Egypt increased by 39 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively.

India’s steps to reduce imports:

• The Government has taken several policy initiatives in the past few years and brought in reforms to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment, thereby promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing & technology in the country. 
• These initiatives, inter-alia, include according priority to procurement of capital items of Buy Indian (IDDM) category from domestic sources under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020.

The current legal framework and regulators to support defence policies in India include:

• Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951
• Defence procurement procedure, 2016
• FDI policy and regulations under FEMA, 1999
• Indian Army Act 1950, India Air Force Act 1950, Indian Navy Act 1957
• Department of industrial policy and promotion(DIPP) (M/o commerce and industry)
• Department of defence production (M/o defence)
• Defence acquisition council (M/o defence)
• Defence offsets management wing (M/o defence)