Which one of the following statements is correct ?

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India is the largest importer of defence equipment in the world

The United States of America was the second largest exporter of defence equipment to India in 2014

Russia has stopped exporting defence equipment to India

India meets not more than 25 per cent of its requirement of defence equipment through import

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2015

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The correct option is B.

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) for the period 2010-2014 and specifically for the year 2014, the United States was indeed the second largest supplier of major arms to India, after Russia. Statement A is also factually correct for 2014 and the surrounding period, where India was the world’s largest importer of major arms. However, given that option B refers to a specific year mentioned within the statement, making it a precise historical fact, and option A is a more general statement (though true for the relevant period), option B is likely the intended correct answer, focusing on a verifiable data point presented in the question itself. Statement C is incorrect as Russia remains a major, though decreasingly dominant, supplier. Statement D is incorrect as India relies heavily on imports, meeting a much higher percentage of its defence equipment requirements through imports rather than domestic production (which was significantly less than 75% around that time).

SIPRI data is widely considered a reliable source for international arms transfer trends. While India has historically been a major importer, its rank can fluctuate over time. The relationship with major suppliers like Russia and the US has evolved, with India diversifying its sources. Domestic defence manufacturing (Make in India) aims to reduce reliance on imports, but it’s a long-term goal.

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