Arms Race Heats Up: India's Imports Dip 4% But Stays World's 2Nd Largest Buyer Pakistan Scrambles

New Delhi: India continues to occupy a strategically vulnerable position as the world's second-largest importer of arms, accounting for 8.2% of total global arms imports, second only to Ukraine, which holds 9.7%, according to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released on Monday.

The five largest recipients of major arms in 2021–25 were Ukraine, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan. Read the #SIPRI fact sheet ➡️#ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRIData #PeaceSources: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar.... twitter/66hV44E0sH

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 9, 2026

New SIPRI data on global #ArmsTransfers out now: Global arms flows jump nearly 10% as European demand soars. Read the press release ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRIData #Peace@hrw @UN_Disarmament @UNIDIR @SweArmsControl... twitter/vqaBogqfHC

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 8, 2026

Also read: What Is AIP? India to Install Indigenous Air-Independent Propulsion System on INS Khanderi by December 2026

Major Suppliers:Russia Leads, West Gains Ground

According to SIPRI, India's top arms suppliers are:

• Russia: 40%
• France: 29%
• Israel: 15%

Indian arms imports fell by 4% between 2016–20 and 2021–25.

“The decrease can be partly attributed to India's growing ability to design and produce its own weapons, although there are often substantial delays in domestic production,” the SIPRI report stated.

#Israel, the seventh largest arms supplier, increased its share of global arms exports from 3.1% in 2016–20 to 4.4% in 2021–25 the fact sheet ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRIData #Peace #SIPRINote: The boundaries used in this... twitter/3cgknqfchP

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 9, 2026

Continued Dependence on Foreign Suppliers

Despite the modest decline, India's recent and planned orders-including up to 140 Rafale fighter jets from France and six submarines from Germany-highlight its continued and possibly increasing reliance on foreign defence suppliers.

Over the past decade, India has increasingly turned to Western suppliers, such as France, the United States, and Israel, for advanced military equipment.

Arms exports by Italy increased by 157%, pushing it from the tenth largest exporter in 2016–20 to the sixth largest in 2021–25 SIPRI data ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRIData #PeaceSources: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database,... twitter/EVZLk00XBn

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 9, 2026

For the first time in two decades, the largest share of US arms exports went to Europe in 2021–25 (38%).Read the press release ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRIData #Peace @wgeary @hrw @UN_Disarmament @UNIDIR @controlarms @CAATuk... twitter/BriqCNGrZx

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 9, 2026

#USA increases its dominance of arms exports, with exports increasing by 27% between 2016–20 and 2021–25, giving it a 42% share of total global arms exports. Press release ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRIData #ArmsExports #Peace... twitter/pPrrcY0Hy6

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 9, 2026

Domestic Challenges: Weak Industrial Base and Strategic Gaps

Apart from India's relatively weak defence-industrial base, another major challenge is the lack of concrete long-term planning to systematically build military capabilities aligned with the country's geopolitical aspirations.

Even as India ranks as the world's fifth-largest defence spender, its armed forces continue to face significant operational shortages, including:

• Fighter aircraft
• Submarines
• Helicopters
• Modern infantry weapons
• Anti-tank guided missiles
• Night-fighting equipment

The five largest exporters of major arms in 2021–25 were USA, France, Russia, Germany and China the fact sheet ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #DefenseSpending #SIPRIData @hrw @UNIDIR @CAATuk @UN_Disarmament @_ENAAT... twitter/bUIqDSF8Po

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 9, 2026

States in Europe more than trebled their #ArmsImports, making it the biggest recipient region. New #SIPRI data out now. Press release ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #DefenseSpending #SIPRIData Sources: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar.... twitter/f1Ydsobsks

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 8, 2026

Pakistan's Arms Imports Surge

In contrast, Pakistan's arms imports grew by 66% between 2016–20 and 2021–25.

China supplied 80% of Pakistan's arms imports during 2021–25, up from 73% in 2016–20, underscoring the deepening defence ties between Islamabad and Beijing.

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Global Arms Transfers Spike Due to Ukraine

The increase in global arms flows between 2021–25 was the largest since 2011–15, primarily driven by military aid to Ukraine and rising defence imports across Europe.

European states received 33% of global arms imports, with the region's imports increasing by 210% between 2016–20 and 2021–25 SIPRI data ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRIData #Peace Sources: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar.... twitter/ZlBTrcX7VQ

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 9, 2026

The volume of international transfers of major arms in 2021–25 was 9.2% higher than in 2016–20. This was the biggest increase in global arms flows since 2011–15 SIPRI fact sheet out now ➡️ #ArmsTransfers #GlobalArmsTrade #ArmsData #SIPRI #Peace twitter/5aYDrux587

- SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 8, 2026

“While tensions and conflicts in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East continue to drive large-scale arms imports, the sharp increase in arms flows to European states pushed global arms transfers up almost 10 per cent,” said Mathew George, Director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme.

“Deliveries to Ukraine since 2022 are the most obvious factor, but most other European states have also started importing significantly more arms to shore up their military capabilities against a perceived growing threat from Russia.”

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