India has become the world's second-largest arms importer over the past five years, with the share of Russian-made weapons continuously declining.

South Korean media: In the past five years, India has become the world's second-largest arms importer!

On April 11, South Korean media outlet THE GURU published an article stating that data shows India ranks second globally in arms imports over the past five years, trailing only Ukraine. The survey reveals that approximately 40% of these imports came from Russia.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recently released its "Global Arms Transfer Trends Report 2025," indicating that between 2021 and last year, India accounted for 8.2% of global arms imports, making it the world's second-largest arms importer.

The country importing the most weapons is Ukraine, which accounted for 9.7% of global arms imports.

Over the past five years, about 40% of the weapons imported by India were produced in Russia. Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated during their summit meeting in December of last year that they would establish a defense cooperation company to meet India’s military equipment needs and advance exports to friendly third countries.

However, India’s reliance on Russian weapons is gradually decreasing.

The share of Russian weapons dropped from 70% between 2011 and 2015 to 51% between 2016 and 2020, and has further declined in the past five years.

SIPRI analysis indicates that India is increasingly shifting its focus toward Western suppliers in arms procurement.

During this period, Pakistan’s arms imports have also significantly increased.

In the past five years, Pakistan’s arms imports have risen by 66% compared to the previous five years.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862136984947724/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.