INDIA AND THE ARMS TRADE

Is India the largest importer of arms, or has SIPRI got it wrong?

-  AMIT COWSHISH

The annual report on ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2022’, released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March 2023, lists India as the largest importer of arms for the period 2018-22. India has held this position for close to two decades, except during 2005-09 when it was pipped to the post by China, and on another three occasions by Saudi Arabia during 2014-18, 2015-19 and 2016-20.

According to the report, India accounted for 11 percent of the global imports between 2018-22, down 11 percent from its 12 percent share in the preceding four-year block of 2013-17. There have been many ups and downs in India’s share, which ranged from a low of 7 percent in 2005-09 to a high of 15 percent in 2010-14. It remained below 10 percent between 2016 and 2020 before climbing again to 11 percent in 2017-21.

Concurrently, India has been edged out of the list of 25 largest exporters of arms -a league it broke into in 2015-19 with a 0.2 percent share of the global exports. In the previous year’s SIPRI report, India was ranked 23rd largest exporter above Brazil and Portugal, though all three had an equal share of 0.2 percent. It was also the highest share India managed to garner before bowing out of the league in this year’s report.

These statistics are at odds with the claims of increasing levels of local manufacturing of military equipment, corresponding reduction in imports, and a rapid rise in defence exports.