India ranks second among munitions suppliers to Eastern Europe

17.7-fold increase in deliveries

India has significantly increased the volume of munitions exports to European states that are actively supporting Ukraine with weapons. According to data from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the total value of such deliveries has reached at least $872 million since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

For comparison, four years before the full-scale war, Indian manufacturers exported similar products to Europe worth only $49.2 million. This means that sales volumes have increased 17.7-fold.

Geography and range

European countries are supplied with artillery shells, mortar mines, explosives, and rocket fuel. Approximately 75% of exports went to 13 Central and Eastern European states. Among the buyers are Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and the Baltic states.

India — the region's second supplier

According to Trade Data Monitor, India jumped from 28th to second place among suppliers of munitions and their components to Central and Eastern European countries. Only South Korea remains the leader.

Even if Indian munitions were not transferred directly to Ukraine, European governments could have used these deliveries to replenish their own arsenals while transferring their own weapons to Kyiv.

Expert assessment

Walter Ledwig, an expert at the Royal College of London, noted that the Russian invasion created new demand, which Indian defence enterprises took advantage of. At the same time, New Delhi is seeking to develop its own weapons production and reduce dependence on imports, particularly Russian ones.