Global Arms Transfer by SIPRI

• New findings on Global Arms Transfers were published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recently.
  • SIPRI is a Sweden-based independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
• USA was world’s topmost military exporter in past five years, followed by Russia and France.
• According to the findings, India still holds its position as the world’s biggest importer of major arms since 1993.
  • It is followed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Australia.
• Russia was the largest supplier of arms to India, but its share of total Indian arms imports fell from 64% to 45% while France emerged as the second largest supplier between 2018-22.
  • India’s arms imports fell 11% between 2013-17 and 2018-22 because of reasons like a complex procurement process, efforts to diversify arms suppliers and attempts to replace imports with local design.

Initiatives taken for Defence Indigenisation

• Priority to procurement from domestic sources under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020.
• Notification of Positive Indigenisation Lists for which there would be an embargo on import beyond indicated timelines.
• Allowing 74% FDI under automatic route.
• SRIJAN portal to facilitate indigenisation by Indian Industry.
• Establishment of two Defence Industrial Corridors (one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu).
• Launch of Mission DefSpace; Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme etc.