Making A Difference

India Is World바카라s Largest Importer Of Weapons With Insatiable Hunger, While Pakistan Slashes Import

India Is World바카라s Largest Importer Of Weapons With Insatiable Hunger, While Pakistan Slashes Import
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Report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute spotlights India바카라s floundering attempts to make firearms in India and growing preference of US over Russia as arms supplier.

India continues to be world바카라s largest importer for major firearms, an indication that Modi government바카라s Make In India drive for defence sector has faltered.

A  from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has found that India was the 바카라world바카라s largest importer of major arms in 2013바카라17 and accounted for 12 per cent of the global total바카라.

The report spotlights India바카라s floundering attempts to make firearms in India. India has managed to get just Rs 1.17 crore as FDI in the defecne sector under the 바카라Make in India바카라 framework.

바카라FDI of amount $0.18 million has been received in the defence industry sector from April 2014 to December 2017,바카라 said junior defence minister , in a  reply to Lok Sabha recently.

India바카라s imports increased by 24% between 2008바카라12 and 2013바카라17, according to the report and majority of the firearms were sourced from India바카라s long-time supplier Russia, which accounted for 62 per cent of India바카라s arms imports in 2013바카라17.

"Asian and Indian arms procurement in particular are a reflection of the growing security competition in Asia," Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan , a senior fellow at ORF, told Outlook. 

"China's military power and its aggressive posturing and the unresolved border and territorial and sovereignty disputes in Asia add to to the concerns of Asian countries.  Two, in the case of India, procurement has been delayed by a decade and it will happen in a go possibly and therefore one might see a spike in the arms procurement.  Three, there are life cycle-driven modernisation and procurement are also adding to the Indian and Asian increase in arms procurement."

The present NDA government had done cut red tape and opened up FDI further wide to boost defence manufacture in India but with little effect.

바카라The Modi government had  the policy to allow FDI up to 49% under the 바카라automatic route바카라, and above 49% through the 바카라government route바카라 with the Cabinet Committee of Security바카라s approval on a case-to-case basis if it was likely to result in access to modern cutting-edge technology,바카라 reported The Times of India.

Last year, the government even scrapped the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) that scrutinized foreign investment proposals in its desperate attempt to cut red tape and facilitate ease of doing business.

The SIPRI report has also brought to light India바카라s shifting preference for the US, who is the leader in arms exports worldwide, holding a share of 34%.

바카라India바카라s arms imports from the USA rose by 557 per cent between 2008바카라12 and 2013바카라17, making it India바카라s second largest arms supplier,바카라 said the report.

바카라The tensions between India, on the one side, and Pakistan and China, on the other, are fuelling India바카라s growing demand for major weapons, which it remains unable to produce itself,바카라 said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.

바카라China, by contrast, is becoming increasingly capable of producing its own weapons and continues to strengthen its relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar through arms supplies.바카라

Surprisingly, India바카라s long-time foe has slashed its imports despite its tensions with India and internal conflicts.

바카라Pakistan바카라s arms imports decreased by 36 per cent between 2008바카라12 and 2013바카라17. Pakistan accounted for 2.8 per cent of global arms imports in 2013바카라17. Its arms imports from the USA dropped by 76 per cent in 2013바카라17 compared with 2008바카라12.바카라

SIPRI data reflects the volume of deliveries of arms, not the financial value of the deals. 

But who is the second largest importer of weapons after India?

The not-so-surprise candidates are the counties in the middle east, which is beset with widespread violent conflicts

According to the report, in 2013바카라17 Saudi Arabia was the world바카라s second largest arms importer, with arms imports increasing by 225 per cent compared with 2008바카라12. Egypt stood at third, UAE at the fourth

Arms imports by Egypt바카라the third largest importer in 2013바카라17바카라grew by 215 per cent between 2008바카라12 and 2013바카라17. The United Arab Emirates was the fourth largest importer in 2013바카라17, while Qatar (the 20th largest arms importer) increased its arms imports and signed several major deals in that period.

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