International ReportsImportant2025-12-01

Release of SIPRI Top 100 Arms-Producing Companies 2024

Q: Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the SIPRI Top 100 Arms-Producing Companies report for 2024? 1. Global arms revenues saw a decline in 2024 due to widespread supply chain bottlenecks. 2. Indian defense companies recorded an 8% increase in revenues, contrasting with a decline in Chinese defense revenues.

B) 2 only — Statement 1 is incorrect because global arms revenues actually surged by 5.9% to reach a record $679 billion in 2024. Statement 2 is correct, as India saw an 8% revenue increase while China experienced a 10% decline due to anti-corruption purges and delayed contracts.

In News

What Happened

On December 1, 2025, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its Top 100 Arms-producing and Military Services Companies report for 2024. The report revealed a record global arms revenue of $679 billion, marking a 5.9% year-on-year increase. Notably, Indian defense companies experienced an 8% revenue surge, whereas China saw a 10% decline linked to internal anti-corruption drives and delayed contracts.

Why It Matters

This highlights India's growing success in the indigenization of defense technology and expanding defense exports under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. It also positions India as a rising, reliable player in the global defense manufacturing supply chain while its primary regional rival faces administrative and production hurdles.

Background

History & Context

Established in 1966, SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament. The SIPRI Top 100 report has tracked global arms industry sales since 1989. India's recent manufacturing surge reflects the impact of systemic policy shifts initiated over the last few years, such as the introduction of Positive Indigenisation Lists by the Department of Military Affairs and the Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.

What Changed

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BEFORE: Global arms revenues experienced sluggish growth or stagnation in the early 2020s due to pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions and labor shortages. NOW: Global arms revenues surged by 5.9% to a record $679 billion in 2024, heavily driven by ongoing geopolitical conflicts and rearmament programs.
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BEFORE: Chinese defense companies consistently recorded rapid year-on-year revenue growth, firmly establishing themselves as the second-largest arms producers globally. NOW: Chinese defense firms experienced a notable 10% revenue decline due to sweeping anti-corruption purges within the military apparatus that delayed procurement contracts.
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BEFORE: Indian defense companies primarily catered to domestic needs but struggled with slow revenue growth and high dependence on foreign tech imports. NOW: Indian defense revenues grew by 8%, reflecting robust domestic procurement policies and an aggressive push toward international defense exports to emerging partner nations.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This event connects to the concept of 'Security in the Contemporary World' covered in Class 12 Political Science (Contemporary World Politics). It serves as a practical application of how shifting arms manufacturing capabilities, defense indigenization, and global arms proliferation dynamically impact a nation's traditional security apparatus and the regional balance of power.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the SIPRI Top 100 Arms-Producing Companies report for 2024? 1. Global arms revenues saw a decline in 2024 due to widespread supply chain bottlenecks. 2. Indian defense companies recorded an 8% increase in revenues, contrasting with a decline in Chinese defense revenues.

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