International ReportsImportant2025-03-10

SIPRI Releases Trends in International Arms Transfers 2024

Q: Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the SIPRI Trends in International Arms Transfers report covering 2020-2024? 1. India ranked as the world's largest arms importer during this period. 2. Russia's share of India's total arms imports fell below 40 percent.

2 only — Statement 1 is incorrect because India was the second-largest arms importer behind Ukraine. Statement 2 is correct as Russia's share of India's arms imports fell to 38 percent.

In News

What Happened

On March 10, 2025, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its 'Trends in International Arms Transfers 2024' report covering the 2020-2024 period. The report revealed that India is the world's second-largest arms importer, trailing only Ukraine. While Russia remained India's primary arms supplier, its share of Indian imports dropped to 38 percent.

Why It Matters

This reflects India's strategic shift toward diversifying its defense procurement base, notably increasing reliance on Western suppliers like France. It also underscores the ongoing need to bolster domestic defense manufacturing through 'Make in India' initiatives to reduce external vulnerabilities and preserve strategic autonomy.

Background

History & Context

Historically, India has been heavily reliant on the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia for its military hardware, with Russia's share often exceeding 60 percent in previous decades. To address this vulnerability, the Indian government introduced the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 to prioritize capital procurement from domestic sources. The Ministry of Defence also began publishing 'Positive Indigenisation Lists' (previously termed Negative Indigenisation Lists) to progressively ban the import of specific weapons and platforms, thereby boosting indigenous production.

What Changed

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BEFORE: India was frequently the world's absolute largest arms importer. NOW: India is the second-largest importer globally for the 2020-2024 period, ranking just behind Ukraine due to the latter's wartime acquisitions.
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BEFORE: Russia dominated India's defense imports with a market share often exceeding half of all acquisitions (e.g., over 60 percent in 2013-2017). NOW: Russia's share of Indian arms imports has fallen to 38 percent, indicating a significant drop in dependency.
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BEFORE: India's defense supplier base was highly concentrated on a single historic partner. NOW: India has actively diversified its procurement, elevating suppliers like France to a much higher share of its overall defense imports.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This topic connects to the Class 12 Political Science NCERT (Contemporary World Politics), specifically the chapter on 'Security in the Contemporary World'. The shift in arms procurement reflects India's traditional security strategy, which emphasizes building military capabilities and ensuring strategic autonomy by avoiding over-reliance on a single foreign supplier.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the SIPRI Trends in International Arms Transfers report covering 2020-2024? 1. India ranked as the world's largest arms importer during this period. 2. Russia's share of India's total arms imports fell below 40 percent.

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