India has been the world’s biggest arms buyer over the past five years, what a Swedish thinktank has said.
Its major arms import is nearly three times as its nearest competitors China and Pakistan, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said on Monday.
Meanwhile, it has been the United States who has been the world’s biggest arms seller in the world followed closely by Russia during 2009-13.
India accounts for 14% of the world’s arms trade buying their weapons mainly from Russia (75%). The US contributes 7% and Israel 6%.
China's arms import nearly halved to 5% of the world’s total trade buying mainly from Russia. Pakistan more than doubled its import to 5% buying mainly from China.
Others in the top five buyers include UAE and Saudi Arabia. The top five arms exporters are the US, Russia, Germany, China and France.
It has been said that China’s second largest customer in the arms trade over 2008-13 has been Bangladesh.
