India has retained its position as the world’s largest importer of weapons and military equipment, accounting for 15 per cent of global imports, with Russia being its majority supplier, India’s official news agency, the Press Trust of India reported.
The volume of India’s multi-billion dollar arms trade rose 140 per cent during the period 2010 to 2014 over the previous five years.
In 2010–14, India’s imports were three times larger than those of either of the regional powers China and Pakistan. This is in contrast with the 2005–2009 period when India’s imports were 23 per cent below China’s and just over double of those of Pakistan.
Of the top 10 largest importers of major weapons during the five-year period (2010–14), five are in Asia – India (15 per cent of global arms imports), China (5 per cent), Pakistan (4 per cent), South Korea (3 per cent) and Singapore (3 per cent).
In 2010–14, Russia supplied 70 per cent of India’s arms imports, the US 12 per cent and Israel 7 per cent.
