India second-largest arms importer after Ukraine

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According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Ukraine, involved in a war with Russia for the past four years, was the largest importer of major arms in the world in the 2020-24 period, clocking a nearly hundredfold rise in imports compared with the figures for 2015-19.

SIPRI:

SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.

India was the second-largest arms importer, though the trade figures decreased by 9.3% between 2015-19 and 2020-24.
India was the biggest arms export destination for both Russia and France, though the volume with Moscow has significantly reduced.
China dropped out of the list of top 10 arms importers for the first time since 1990-94, showcasing its expanding domestic industrial base.
The largest share of Indian arms imports (36%) came from Russia, a significantly smaller share than in 2015-19 (55%) and 2010-14 (72%).
Four countries in Asia and Oceania — India, Pakistan, Japan, and Australia— ranked among the 10 largest arms importers globally in 2020-24.
Russia delivered major arms to 33 countries in 2020-24, of which two-thirds went to three countries — India (38%), China (17%), and Kazakhstan (11%).

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