India is the world’s second-largest arms importer, despite attempts to minimise its reliance on foreign weaponry, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. India’s arms imports fell by 11% between 2013-17 and 2018-22 as a result of complex procurement processes, supplier diversity, and measures to encourage domestic manufacture.
However, imports climbed by 4.7% between 2014-18 and 2019-23, owing in part to emergency procurements in response to tensions with China.
Russia is India’s leading supplier, accounting for 36% of imports from 2019 to 23; nonetheless, this is the first time since the 1960s that Russian weaponry account for less than half of India’s imports.
However, India’s reliance on Russian armaments has decreased dramatically over the last decade, despite the fact that Russia remains its major supplier of military gear.
Russia’s proportion of India’s weaponry imports decreased from 72% in 2010-14 to 36% in 2019-23. This is the first time since the 1960s that Russia’s share of India’s defence imports has dipped below 50%.
This move is ascribed to a number of causes, including India’s efforts to diversify its defence procurement by interacting with Western suppliers such as France and the United States, as well as increasing local manufacture through projects such as Atmanirbhar Bharat. For example, France currently accounts for 29% of India’s weaponry imports, with the United States contributing 11%.
Logistical hurdles and sanctions resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have further hampered its capacity to supply weapons on schedule, hastening India’s transition away from Russian weaponry.
Despite its collapse, Russia continues to play an important role in India’s defence ecosystem. Around 60-70% of India’s military equipment is still of Russian provenance, and current partnerships include projects such as the S-400 missile defence system and BrahMos rockets.
However, India’s recent defence purchase trends and strategic relationships indicate a gradual but purposeful shift towards diminishing its reliance on Moscow.
France has overtaken the United States to become the second-largest provider. Meanwhile, India has made progress in arms exports, albeit it has lately slid off SIPRI’s top 25 exporters list.
Despite these adjustments, India accounted for 9.8% of global arms imports from 2019 to 2023, highlighting its importance in the global arms trade.
Historically, Russia has been India’s principal armaments supplier, but geopolitical upheavals and supply chain interruptions, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have spurred India to look for other sources. This diversity helps to limit the risks associated with overreliance on a single partner in the face of international sanctions and supply constraints.
By diversifying its military purchase sources to include Western countries such as the United States, France, and Israel, India hopes to increase its strategic autonomy. This enables it to more successfully negotiate complicated geopolitical settings while avoiding becoming unduly reliant on any single source.
Western companies provide innovative technology that are compatible with India’s military modernisation aims. This pursuit of cutting-edge technology is shown, for example, in the procurement of French Rafale planes and American P-8i maritime patrol aircraft.
India’s “Make in India” policy focusses on indigenous military manufacture to lessen dependency on imports. While problems continue, diversification helps to achieve this aim by allowing India to focus on strengthening its own skills while still having access to important foreign technology.
The United States has pushed India to minimise its reliance on Russian arms producers, offering incentives such as advanced technology transfers. This has accelerated India’s migration towards Western suppliers.
