India second-largest arms importer after Ukraine. Check other nations in top 10

Ukraine was the largest importer of major arms in the world in the 2020-24 period, marking a nearly hundredfold rise in imports compared with the figures for 2015-19, due to its ongoing war with Russia since 2022. India was the second-largest arms importer, though its total trade figures decreased by 9.3% between 2015-19 and 2020-24, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
India was the biggest arms export destination for Russia and France, though the volume with Moscow has significantly reduced. China is out of the list of top 10 arms importers for the first time since 1990-94, highlighting its rising domestic arms manufacturing.

The largest share of Indian arms imports (36%) came from Russia, considerably less than in 2015-19 (55%) and 2010-14 (72%).

Among the top 10 nations following Ukraine (8.8%) and India (8.3%) were Qatar (6.8%), Saudi Arabia (6.8%), Pakistan (4.6%), Japan (3.9%), Australia (3.5%), Egypt (3.3%), the USA (3.1%), and Kuwait (2.9%).

Pakistan imports grew by 61%

“Arms imports by Pakistan grew by 61% between 2015–19 and 2020–24, and China became its dominant supplier, accounting for 81% of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2020–24, compared with 74% in 2015–19,” the SIPRI report said.

European arms imports grew overall by 155% as the continent rearms itself, while the US increased its share of global arms exports to 43%.

Russia’s exports fell by 64%, accounting for 7.8% of global arms exports, as it fell behind France (9.6%), which emerged as the second-largest arms exporter in 2020-24.

Russia delivered major arms to 33 countries in 2020-24, of which two-thirds went to three countries: India (38%), China (17%), and Kazakhstan (11%).

French arms exports register growth

France exported arms to 65 countries, and its exports of major arms to other European countries almost tripled between 2015–19 and 2020–24 (+187%). “This was mainly due to deliveries of combat aircraft to Greece and Croatia and arms supplies to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022,” the report said.

India received the largest share of French arms exports (28%)—almost twice the share that went to all European recipients combined (15%).

India inked contracts for 36 Rafale fighter jets and six Scorpene-class conventional submarines from France and has more mega deals lined up.

Italy, with a 4.8% share of arms sales, jumped from 10th to sixth place on the exporters list.

The report said that at least 35 countries have sent weapons to Ukraine since 2022, and substantial deliveries are in the pipeline. The country received 8.8% of global arms imports in 2020-24.

“Most of the major arms supplied to Ukraine came from the USA (45%), followed by Germany (12%), and Poland (11%). Ukraine was the only European nation among the top 10 importers in 2020–24, although many other European countries significantly increased their arms imports in the period.”

“The figures reflect the rearmament taking place in Europe in response to the threat from Russia,” said Mathew George, programme director at SIPRI.