Will Russia-Ukraine war impact India's defence imports? Delivery of orders worth $9 billion still pending

In the wake of the Ukraine crisis, India is keeping a close eye on its defence imports from Russia. Here's a look at how India's defence imports from Russia have fallen in recent years.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing the world. It has forced many countries to either impose sanctions on or limit bilateral ties with Russia, which goes on to prove that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could have long-term repercussions.

India, too, is keeping a close watch on its defence requirements that are sourced from Russia.

While both Indian and Russian officials have stated that the crisis will not impact or delay deliveries of defence equipment, concerns persist about sanctions on Russia and the possibility of a prolonged war in Ukraine.

In fact, reviews are being conducted by the defence establishment to ascertain the status of current deals and payments.

Over the last decade, India’s arms imports have dropped by over 30 per cent. This decrease was attributed to a number of reasons, including reduced dependence on Russia. But Moscow still supplies a large chunk of spares and other military platforms to India.

The drop in Indian arms imports seems to have been mainly due to its complex procurement processes, combined with an attempt to reduce its dependence on Russian arms, read a report from last year by SIPRI on international arms transfers.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international think-tank that studies conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.