According to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia continues to be the largest arms supplier to India, accounting for 36% of India's arms imports during the period of 2020–2024.

However, this marks a significant decline from previous years, where Russia's share was 55% in 2015–2019 and 72% in 2010–2014.

This reduction reflects India's strategic shift towards diversifying its arms suppliers, with increased reliance on Western countries such as France, Israel, and the United States.

India remains one of the world's largest arms importers, driven primarily by tensions with neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan.

Despite this, India's arms imports decreased by 9.3% between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024, partly due to its growing capability in designing and producing its own weapons.

The SIPRI report highlights that Ukraine has surpassed India as the world's largest arms importer, with India now holding the second position.

Russia's overall arms exports have also seen a substantial decline, dropping by 64% between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024, largely due to Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

Despite these challenges, India remains the largest recipient of Russian arms, with significant deliveries including S-400 air defence systems and T-90 tanks.

However, India's new and planned orders for major arms are increasingly coming from Western suppliers, indicating a continued shift away from Russian dependence.

Agencies