Context: According to a report from Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s arms imports decreased by 33% between 2011–15 and 2016–20, while India continues to remain the second largest arms importer after Saudi Arabia,.

• The overall drop in arms imports seems due to its
  • complex and lengthy procurement processes
  • attempts to reduce its dependence on Russian arms by diversifying its network of arms suppliers.
• Russia was the largest arms supplier in both years. “However, Russia’s deliveries dropped by 53% between the two periods and its share of Indian arms imports fell from 70 to 49%.”
• S. was the second largest arms supplier to India in 2011–15 but in 2016–20 India’s arms imports from the U.S. were 46% lower than in the previous five-year period, making the U.S. the fourth largest supplier in 2016–20.
• France and Israel were the second and third largest arms suppliers in 2016–20.
• India perceives increasing threats from Pakistan and China and as its ambitious plans to produce its own major arms have been significantly delayed, it is planning large-scale programmes for arms imports.
• As part of efforts to boost defence imports and promote domestic manufacturing, the Defence Ministry had last year notified a list of 101 items on the negative import

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indias-arms-imports-decreased-by-33-between-201115-and-201620/article34075506.ece?homepage=true

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