India remained the world’s second largest importer of major arms between 2021 and 2025, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), even as the country reduced its dependence on foreign arms as part of efforts to boost domestic defense production.
The study highlights changing patterns of military procurement in South Asia, with Pakistan increasingly dependent on Chinese arms while India balances imports with an expanding domestic defense industry.
India remains the second largest arms importer in the world
According to SIPRI, India accounted for 8.2% of total global arms imports between 2021 and 2025, making it the world’s second largest importer of major weapons systems during that period.
The report attributes the level of procurement in India largely to its strategic environment and security challenges.
“India was the world’s second-largest recipient of major arms in 2021-25, accounting for 8.2 percent of total global arms imports. Its arms imports are driven by tensions with China and Pakistan. These tensions have regularly led to armed conflict, as was the case briefly between India and Pakistan in May 2025, with both sides using imported major weapons,” the SIPRI report said.
Despite remaining the leading importer, Indian purchases declined slightly compared to the previous five-year period.
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“India’s arms imports fell by 4.0% between 2016-20 and 2021-25. The decline can be attributed in part to India’s growing ability to design and manufacture its own weapons – although there are often significant delays in domestic production,” the report said.
India diversifies suppliers, reduces dependence on Russia
The report highlights a significant shift in India’s defense procurement strategy over the past decade. Historically dependent on Russian equipment, India has increasingly acquired weapons from Western partners, including France, Israel and the United States.
SIPRI data shows that Russia’s share of India’s arms imports has been steadily declining.
“Russia’s share of India’s arms imports fell from 70% in 2011-15 to 51% in 2016-20 and then to 40% in 2021-25,” the report said.
Even as India seeks to boost domestic manufacturing, the country continues to rely on foreign suppliers for several high-end defense systems.
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“India’s recent orders or planned orders — including up to 140 fighter jets from France and six submarines from Germany — indicate its continued and likely growing dependence on foreign suppliers,” the report said.
Pakistan’s growing dependence on Chinese weapons
While India remains a major importer, Pakistan’s defense supply chain is increasingly centered around China.
The report said that around 80% of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2021 and 2025 came from China, up from 73% in 2016-2020.
Pakistan also rose in the global ranking of arms importers, becoming the world’s fifth largest recipient of major weapons, compared to tenth place in the previous five-year cycle.
According to SIPRI, arms imports from Pakistan increased by 66% between the two periods, accounting for 4.2% of global imports.
China’s export relationship with Pakistan is equally important to Beijing’s defense industry.
Although China exported arms to 47 countries during the period, 61% of its total arms exports were delivered to Pakistan, the report said.
Regional tensions shape defense spending
SIPRI researchers note that geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding China, continue to shape military procurement patterns across Asia.
Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher at SIPRI’s Arms Transfers Programme, said security concerns remain a major driver of defense acquisitions.
“Concerns about China’s intentions and its growing military capabilities continue to affect arms efforts in other parts of Asia and Oceania, which often still depend on imported weapons,” Wezeman said.
The dynamism is particularly evident in South Asia.
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“In South Asia, for example, the high volume of arms that India imports is largely due to the perceived threat from China and India’s long-standing conflict with the main recipient of China’s arms exports, Pakistan. The imported arms were used in a 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states,” the SIPRI analyst said.
Global trends in the arms trade
The report also highlights broader trends in the global gun market between 2021 and 2025.
The United States remained the largest arms exporter, accounting for 42% of global exports, followed by France with 9.8% and Russia with 6.8%.
Russia’s share fell sharply compared to previous years, from 21 percent in 2016-2020 to 6.8 percent in 2021-2025, mainly due to declining exports to countries such as Algeria, China and Egypt.
Meanwhile, Europe has become the largest regional arms importer for the first time since the 1960s, largely as a result of the war in Ukraine and growing security concerns.
Europe accounted for 33% of global arms imports, followed by Asia and Oceania with 31% and West Asia with 26%, the report said.
The top five arms importers – Ukraine, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan – together accounted for 35% of global imports, underscoring the continued concentration of defense contracts among a small group of countries.
