{"id":2045,"date":"2026-03-16T10:36:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T10:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/?p=2045"},"modified":"2026-04-01T11:58:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T11:58:24","slug":"2nd-largest-arms-importer-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/","title":{"rendered":"India Becomes World&#8217;s 2nd Largest Arms Importer (2021-25): SIPRI Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>India has emerged as the world\u2019s second largest arms importer during 2021-2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). At the same time, Ukraine ranked first, while the United States remained the largest global arms exporter. This development is highly important for UPSC, APSC, and other State PCS exams because it connects international relations, defence policy, geopolitics and India\u2019s strategic autonomy. Therefore, aspirants must understand the key data, trends, and implications of this SIPRI report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"572\" height=\"591\" src=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-18.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2046\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-18.jpeg 572w, https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-18-290x300.jpeg 290w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Is SIPRI?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sipri.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-03\/fs_2603_at_2025.pdf\">Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)<\/a> is a Sweden-based think tank. It publishes an annual report titled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sipri.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-03\/fs_2603_at_2025.pdf\">Trends in International Arms Transfers<\/a>\u201d. This report tracks global arms imports and exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Importantly, SIPRI data is frequently quoted in government documents, media reports and international policy debates. Therefore, it is highly relevant for competitive exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India becomes world\u2019s 2nd Largest Arms Importer (2021-2025)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to SIPRI:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India was the <strong>second largest arms importer<\/strong> globally during 2021-2025. Notably, it accounted for <strong>8.2% of global arms imports<\/strong> over 2021-25.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, India\u2019s overall arms imports decreased slightly by <strong>4%<\/strong> compared to 2016-2020.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Russia remained India\u2019s largest supplier, accounting for <strong>40%<\/strong> of imports. But this marks a sharp decline from <strong>51%<\/strong> in 2016-2020 and <strong>70%<\/strong> in 2011-2015.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is increasingly buying arms from <strong>France (second largest supplier providing 29% of India\u2019s imports) <\/strong>and <strong>Israel (third largest supplier with 15% share of India\u2019s arms import)<\/strong>, indicating diversification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, while India still depends on imports, it is gradually reducing reliance on a single supplier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Who Was the Largest Arms Importer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukraine became the world\u2019s largest arms importer during 2021-2025. It received <strong>9.7% of total global arms transfers<\/strong>. This sharp rise occurred due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. As a result, Europe saw a dramatic increase in arms imports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>United States: The Largest Arms Exporter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The United States supplied <strong>42% of global arms transfers<\/strong> in 2021-2025. Moreover, the share of US arms exports grew by <strong>27%.<\/strong> Therefore, the US has strengthened its dominance as the world\u2019s top arms supplier, even in a multipolar world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Asia and Oceania: Key Trends in Arms Imports (2021-2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Firstly, <strong>four countries<\/strong> from <strong>Asia <\/strong>and <strong>Oceania<\/strong> ranked among the <strong>top 10 global arms importers<\/strong>: <strong>India, Pakistan, Japan and Australia<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moreover, the <strong>United States<\/strong> emerged as the <strong>main supplier to the region<\/strong>, accounting for <strong>35%<\/strong> of total regional arms imports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In addition, <strong>Russia<\/strong> supplied <strong>17%<\/strong> of the region\u2019s arms imports during this period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Similarly, <strong>China<\/strong> contributed <strong>14%<\/strong> of arms supplies to Asia and Oceania.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interestingly, China dropped out of the list of the top 10 arms importers for the first time since <strong>1991-1995<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This development occurred because China significantly expanded its <strong>domestic defence production<\/strong>, thereby reducing its reliance on foreign arms imports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Defence Imports: Strategic Analysis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Declining Dependence on Russia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Russia still supplies 40% of India\u2019s arms imports, this share has steadily declined. Therefore, India is diversifying its defence partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Increasing Western Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>India is purchasing advanced defence systems from France, Israel, and the United States. This shift reflects stronger strategic ties with Western countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Push for Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>India aims to reduce imports through Make in India in Defence, Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy and Increasing domestic manufacturing. Thus, while India remains a major importer, it also seeks self-reliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pakistan\u2019s Arms Imports<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SIPRI noted that Pakistan\u2019s arms imports grew by 66% between 2016-2020 and 2021-2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Importantly, <strong>China<\/strong> supplied <strong>80%<\/strong> of Pakistan\u2019s arms imports in 2021-2025. This increased from 73% in the previous period. Therefore, China remains Pakistan\u2019s primary defence partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Arms Transfer Trends (2021-2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, Global arms transfers increased by <strong>9.2%<\/strong> compared to 2016-2020. Europe became the largest importing region. Moreover, ongoing conflicts in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East drove higher defence spending. Consequently, global security tensions continue to shape defence markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: India\u2019s Arms Imports and Global Defence Trends<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>India\u2019s position as the world\u2019s second largest arms importer (2021-2025) highlights both its security challenges and strategic priorities. Although Russia remains a key supplier, India is increasingly diversifying toward Western partners. At the same time, global arms transfers have risen due to geopolitical tensions, especially in Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For UPSC, APSC, and State PCS aspirants, understanding the SIPRI report, India\u2019s defence imports, global arms transfers, and strategic partnerships is essential. These topics directly relate to international relations, defence policy, and national security which are crucial areas in competitive examinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sipri.org\/media\/press-release\/2026\/global-arms-flows-jump-nearly-10-cent-european-demand-soars\">https:\/\/www.sipri.org\/media\/press-release\/2026\/global-arms-flows-jump-nearly-10-cent-european-demand-soars<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br><br><br>Assam Current Affairs &#8211; SPM IAS Academy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Assam Current Affairs Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-budget-2026-highlights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assam Budget 2026 Highlights<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-cabinet-decisions-february-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assam Cabinet Decisions February 2026<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-police-recruitment-2026-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assam Police Recruitment 2026<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-forest-conservation-initiative-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Forest Conservation Initiative<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/guwahati-smart-city-project-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Guwahati Smart City Update<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-education-policy-reform-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Education Policy Reform<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-flood-management-strategy-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Flood Management Strategy<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-govt-scheme-for-women-empowerment-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Women Empowerment Scheme<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/majuli-river-erosion-measures-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Majuli River Erosion Measures<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-healthcare-infrastructure-expansion-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Healthcare Infrastructure Expansion<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-agriculture-export-policy-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Agriculture Export Policy<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/kaziranga-conservation-efforts-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kaziranga Conservation Efforts<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-startup-policy-implementation-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Startup Policy Implementation<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-panchayat-election-update-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Panchayat Election Update<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-tourism-development-plan-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tourism Development Plan<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-mining-regulation-reforms-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mining Regulation Reforms<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-power-sector-reforms-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Power Sector Reforms<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-skill-development-mission-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Skill Development Mission<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-border-development-project-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Border Development Project<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/assam-rural-road-connectivity-initiative-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rural Road Connectivity Initiative<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773487803743\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Why did India become the world\u2019s second largest arms importer (2021-2025)?<\/strong><br\/><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">India became the world\u2019s second largest arms importer during 2021-2025 because it continued to modernize its armed forces amid regional security challenges. According to SIPRI, India accounted for 8.2% of global arms imports. Although India slightly reduced its total imports compared to 2016-2020, it still relied on foreign suppliers for advanced defence systems.<br\/><\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773487831918\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Which country supplied the most arms to India between 2021 and 2025?<\/strong><br\/><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Russia remained India\u2019s largest arms supplier during 2021-2025, accounting for 40% of India\u2019s imports. However, India reduced its dependence on Russia compared to previous years. At the same time, India increased purchases from France and Israel, thereby diversifying its defence partnerships.<br\/><\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773487862188\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Who was the largest arms importer in the world during 2021-2025?<\/strong><br\/><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Ukraine was the world\u2019s largest arms importer during 2021-2025. It received 9.7% of total global arms transfers. The ongoing conflict with Russia significantly increased Ukraine\u2019s defence imports, which also led to a sharp rise in arms transfers to Europe.<br\/><\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773487884406\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How is India reducing its dependence on arms imports?<\/strong><br\/><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">India is reducing its dependence on arms imports by promoting domestic defence production under initiatives like Make in India and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy. Furthermore, India is expanding indigenous manufacturing capabilities to achieve long-term self-reliance in defence technology.<br\/><br\/><\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India has emerged as the world\u2019s second largest arms importer during 2021-2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). At the same time,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2050,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>India: World\u2019s 2nd Largest Arms Importer \u2013 SIPRI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"India ranked as the world\u2019s 2nd largest arms importer in 2021\u201325, according to the SIPRI report. Key facts for competitive exams.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"India: World\u2019s 2nd Largest Arms Importer \u2013 SIPRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"India ranked as the world\u2019s 2nd largest arms importer in 2021\u201325, according to the SIPRI report. Key facts for competitive exams.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SPM IAS Current Affairs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-16T10:36:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-01T11:58:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"rimjhim\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"rimjhim\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"rimjhim\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/person\/ce160913d56f2be1615fbc00c7775dfc\"},\"headline\":\"India Becomes World&#8217;s 2nd Largest Arms Importer (2021-25): SIPRI Report\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-16T10:36:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-01T11:58:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/\"},\"wordCount\":1038,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/\",\"name\":\"India: World\u2019s 2nd Largest Arms Importer \u2013 SIPRI\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-16T10:36:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-01T11:58:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"India ranked as the world\u2019s 2nd largest arms importer in 2021\u201325, according to the SIPRI report. Key facts for competitive exams.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#breadcrumb\"},\"mainEntity\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487803743\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487831918\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487862188\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487884406\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":480,\"caption\":\"Second largest arms importer\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"India Becomes World&#8217;s 2nd Largest Arms Importer (2021-25): SIPRI Report\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/\",\"name\":\"SPM IAS Current Affairs\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SPM IAS Current Affairs\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/SPM-Logo.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/SPM-Logo.webp\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":569,\"caption\":\"SPM IAS Current Affairs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/person\/ce160913d56f2be1615fbc00c7775dfc\",\"name\":\"rimjhim\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/53bd85940a49d9287373f0ab8a9b578ff9feacd95960e48bd9605807433eb755?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/53bd85940a49d9287373f0ab8a9b578ff9feacd95960e48bd9605807433eb755?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/53bd85940a49d9287373f0ab8a9b578ff9feacd95960e48bd9605807433eb755?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"rimjhim\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/author\/rimjhim\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487803743\",\"position\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487803743\",\"name\":\"Why did India become the world\u2019s second largest arms importer (2021-2025)?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"India became the world\u2019s second largest arms importer during 2021-2025 because it continued to modernize its armed forces amid regional security challenges. According to SIPRI, India accounted for 8.2% of global arms imports. Although India slightly reduced its total imports compared to 2016-2020, it still relied on foreign suppliers for advanced defence systems.<br\/>\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487831918\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487831918\",\"name\":\"Which country supplied the most arms to India between 2021 and 2025?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Russia remained India\u2019s largest arms supplier during 2021-2025, accounting for 40% of India\u2019s imports. However, India reduced its dependence on Russia compared to previous years. At the same time, India increased purchases from France and Israel, thereby diversifying its defence partnerships.<br\/>\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487862188\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487862188\",\"name\":\"Who was the largest arms importer in the world during 2021-2025?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Ukraine was the world\u2019s largest arms importer during 2021-2025. It received 9.7% of total global arms transfers. The ongoing conflict with Russia significantly increased Ukraine\u2019s defence imports, which also led to a sharp rise in arms transfers to Europe.<br\/>\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487884406\",\"position\":4,\"url\":\"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487884406\",\"name\":\"How is India reducing its dependence on arms imports?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"India is reducing its dependence on arms imports by promoting domestic defence production under initiatives like Make in India and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy. Furthermore, India is expanding indigenous manufacturing capabilities to achieve long-term self-reliance in defence technology.<br\/><br\/>\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"India: World\u2019s 2nd Largest Arms Importer \u2013 SIPRI","description":"India ranked as the world\u2019s 2nd largest arms importer in 2021\u201325, according to the SIPRI report. Key facts for competitive exams.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"India: World\u2019s 2nd Largest Arms Importer \u2013 SIPRI","og_description":"India ranked as the world\u2019s 2nd largest arms importer in 2021\u201325, according to the SIPRI report. Key facts for competitive exams.","og_url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/","og_site_name":"SPM IAS Current Affairs","article_published_time":"2026-03-16T10:36:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-01T11:58:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"rimjhim","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"rimjhim","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/"},"author":{"name":"rimjhim","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/person\/ce160913d56f2be1615fbc00c7775dfc"},"headline":"India Becomes World&#8217;s 2nd Largest Arms Importer (2021-25): SIPRI Report","datePublished":"2026-03-16T10:36:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-01T11:58:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/"},"wordCount":1038,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp","articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/","url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/","name":"India: World\u2019s 2nd Largest Arms Importer \u2013 SIPRI","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp","datePublished":"2026-03-16T10:36:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-01T11:58:24+00:00","description":"India ranked as the world\u2019s 2nd largest arms importer in 2021\u201325, according to the SIPRI report. Key facts for competitive exams.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487803743"},{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487831918"},{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487862188"},{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487884406"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Second-largest-arms-importer.webp","width":1600,"height":480,"caption":"Second largest arms importer"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"India Becomes World&#8217;s 2nd Largest Arms Importer (2021-25): SIPRI Report"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/","name":"SPM IAS Current Affairs","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#organization","name":"SPM IAS Current Affairs","url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/SPM-Logo.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/SPM-Logo.webp","width":2560,"height":569,"caption":"SPM IAS Current Affairs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/#\/schema\/person\/ce160913d56f2be1615fbc00c7775dfc","name":"rimjhim","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/53bd85940a49d9287373f0ab8a9b578ff9feacd95960e48bd9605807433eb755?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/53bd85940a49d9287373f0ab8a9b578ff9feacd95960e48bd9605807433eb755?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/53bd85940a49d9287373f0ab8a9b578ff9feacd95960e48bd9605807433eb755?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"rimjhim"},"url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/author\/rimjhim\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487803743","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487803743","name":"Why did India become the world\u2019s second largest arms importer (2021-2025)?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"India became the world\u2019s second largest arms importer during 2021-2025 because it continued to modernize its armed forces amid regional security challenges. According to SIPRI, India accounted for 8.2% of global arms imports. Although India slightly reduced its total imports compared to 2016-2020, it still relied on foreign suppliers for advanced defence systems.<br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487831918","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487831918","name":"Which country supplied the most arms to India between 2021 and 2025?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Russia remained India\u2019s largest arms supplier during 2021-2025, accounting for 40% of India\u2019s imports. However, India reduced its dependence on Russia compared to previous years. At the same time, India increased purchases from France and Israel, thereby diversifying its defence partnerships.<br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487862188","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487862188","name":"Who was the largest arms importer in the world during 2021-2025?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Ukraine was the world\u2019s largest arms importer during 2021-2025. It received 9.7% of total global arms transfers. The ongoing conflict with Russia significantly increased Ukraine\u2019s defence imports, which also led to a sharp rise in arms transfers to Europe.<br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487884406","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/2nd-largest-arms-importer-india\/#faq-question-1773487884406","name":"How is India reducing its dependence on arms imports?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"India is reducing its dependence on arms imports by promoting domestic defence production under initiatives like Make in India and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy. Furthermore, India is expanding indigenous manufacturing capabilities to achieve long-term self-reliance in defence technology.<br\/><br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2045"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2052,"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2045\/revisions\/2052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spmiasacademy.com\/currentaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}