According to a new report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the world’s second largest arms importer during 2021-25, with 8.2 percent share in total global imports. The think tank said that India has shifted its arms relations from Russia to Western suppliers, although during this period it remained Moscow’s top arms buyer.
SIPRI said that India was the world’s second largest arms recipient country in 2021-25, with 8.2 percent share in total global arms imports. Also said that due to tensions with both China and Pakistan, its arms imports have increased. These tensions have led to regular armed conflict, as occurred briefly between India and Pakistan in May 2025, in which both sides used major imported weapons.
The last decade has seen a change in India’s defense imports as arms purchases have declined by 4 percent between 2016-20 and 2021-25. The report attributes this decline to New Delhi’s growing ability to design and manufacture its own weapons.
On India’s recent defense orders to France and Germany, SIPRI said that the country is continuing and perhaps even increasing its dependence on foreign suppliers. However, the think tank said that in the last decade, India has shifted its arms relations from Russia to Western suppliers, especially France, Israel and the USA. This is the reason why Moscow’s share in Indian arms imports decreased from 70 percent in 2011-15 to 51 percent in 2016-20 and then to 40 percent in 2021-25.
Ukraine, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan are the top five defense importers worldwide, accounting for 35 percent of total global arms imports between 2021-25. Russia’s share in global arms exports declined sharply from 21 percent in 2016-20 to 6.8 percent in 2021-25, mainly due to a big decline in exports to countries like Algeria, China and Egypt.
India’s defense trade
- In April 2025, India signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with France to purchase 26 Rafale aircraft (22 single-seater and four twin-seater) for the Indian Navy. This pact includes training, simulators, combined equipment, weapons and performance-based logistics as well as additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force. Delivery of these aircraft is expected to be completed by 2030, and the crew will undergo training in France and India.
- The Defense Ministry also signed a pact with US-based Metria Management for wet leasing of one flight refueling aircraft to impart air-to-air refueling training to IAF and Indian Navy pilots. Under the agreement, the company was to deliver the FRA (KC135 aircraft) within six months.
- Last month, India and France signed a contract for 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets. The government has created many facilities in collaboration with French companies to promote defense manufacturing. This includes the ongoing partnership between Safran and HAL for the development of the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH) and the creation of an MRO facility for the M-88 engine installed on the Rafale aircraft.
- India and France have also initiated the Scorpene program (P75 Kalvari), the sixth submarine of which was delivered to the Indian Navy on January 15, 2025, and have decided to continue cooperation in submarines.
- Another partnership includes Safran’s joint venture with Bharat Electronics Limited, under which Hammer missiles will be manufactured in India. Additionally, Airbus has built an H125 final assembly line with ATA Advanced Systems.
- In the latest development, the Defense Ministry has signed a contract worth Rs 2,182 crore with JSC Rosoboronexport, Russian Federation, to procure Surface-to-Air Vertical Launch – Shtil missile and its associated missile holding frame.
- Shifting its defense sourcing to the West, the Indian government last year signed a 10-year framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership, with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth saying India is a priority country for the US in defense cooperation.
indigenous defense manufacturing
India is rapidly expanding its domestic defense manufacturing with an allocation of Rs 7.85 lakh crore under the budget, which is 15.19 percent more than the Budgetary Estimates (BE) for FY 2025-26. This is 14.67 percent of the union budget, which is the highest among ministries. Out of the defense budget, Rs 1.39 lakh crore has been allocated for procurement from domestic defense industries. The government has reserved about 75 percent of the capital acquisition budget for domestic defense industries in FY 27. India’s defense budget increased from Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 7.85 lakh crore in 2026-27, which is almost a three-fold increase.
Global supplier of arms and ammunition
According to data released by SIPRI, the five largest suppliers during 2021-25 were USA, France, Russia, Germany and China, which accounted for 70 percent of the total arms exports. The think tank said that between 2016-20 and 2021-25, arms exports from the US, France, Germany and China increased, while Russia’s exports declined sharply. During this period, America’s arms exports increased by 27 percent and its share in total global arms exports increased from 36 percent to 42 percent. Over the past five years, the USA’s share of total global arms exports was greater than that of the next seven largest suppliers combined. Arms exports by the 27 current EU member states increased by 36 percent between 2016-20 and 2021-25, with total arms exports accounting for 28 percent of total global arms exports in 2021-25.