New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh) — India has emerged as the world’s second-largest importer of major arms, accounting for 8.3 per cent of global imports between 2021 and 2025, according to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The report, titled ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2025’, released on Monday, March 9, 2026, reveals that India’s ranking is surpassed only by Ukraine, which claimed the top spot with a 9.7 per cent share due to its ongoing conflict with Russia.
A significant takeaway from the 2025 data is the steady decline in India’s reliance on Russian military hardware. While Russia remains a principal supplier, its share of Indian arms imports has plummeted from 70 per cent in 2011–15 to just 40 per cent in the 2021–25 period. Simultaneously, India has aggressively pivoted toward Western suppliers, with France (29%) and Israel (15%) filling the vacuum. The United States also remains a critical strategic partner as India seeks to modernize its arsenal amid persistent tensions with China and Pakistan.
| Top Global Importers (2021-25) | Global Share (%) | Primary Suppliers |
| Ukraine | 9.7% | USA, Germany, Poland |
| India | 8.3% | Russia, France, Israel |
| Saudi Arabia | 7.2% | USA, France, Spain |
| Qatar | 5.9% | USA, France, Italy |
| Pakistan | 4.2% | China, Turkey, Netherlands |
The SIPRI report noted a slight 4.0 per cent overall decrease in India’s total imports compared to the previous five-year block (2016–20). This reduction is partially attributed to the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative, which has boosted the domestic design and production of weapons. However, the report cautioned that substantial delays in indigenous manufacturing continue to necessitate massive foreign acquisitions. Major pending orders, including 140 combat aircraft from France and 6 submarines from Germany, underscore India’s continued dependence on high-end international technology to maintain its regional edge.
Regionally, Pakistan has seen a 66 per cent hike in its arms imports, moving up to the fifth-largest importer globally. China remains Islamabad’s dominant supplier, providing 80 per cent of its military equipment. SIPRI analysts emphasized that the competitive arms race in South Asia reached a flashpoint as recently as May 2025, when a brief armed conflict between India and Pakistan saw both nations deploying recently imported advanced weaponry. On the global export stage, the United States solidified its dominance, accounting for 42 per cent of all international arms transfers, followed by France and Russia.
