SIPRI report: India becomes the world’s largest arms importer; Defence Minister A K Antony: India still has a long way to go to attain self-reliance in defence production
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    • India is now the world’s largest weapons importer. According to the Swedish think tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) which monitors global arms sales, India’s weapons imports had overtaken China’s, as the South Asian nation pushes ahead with plans to modernise its military and gain international clout. According to the report, India accounted for 9 per cent of all international arms imports in the period from 2006 to 2010, and it is expected to keep the top spot for the foreseeable future. China dropped to second place, with 6 per cent of global imports, as it continued to build up its domestic arms industry. The United States was the largest arms exporter, followed by Russia and Germany, according to the report. Russia was the biggest arms supplier for India and Israel was another important supplier. With its booming economy and growing power, India has been pushing for a greater international role, including a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.1

    However, while noting that there has been a rise in indigenous production in defence platforms, equipment and ammunition, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said that the government's first priority is to reduce dependence on foreign players in supply of these items. He stated, “All our defence PSUs are in the process of modernisation. We will be able to increase our indigenous products substantially,". He added that government has taken policy initiatives to promote indigenous production of defence equipment. However, “we have to go a long way” to attain self-reliance, admitted the minister. 2

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