India topped the list of arms purchasers in the developing world in 2005, concluding weapons agreements worth $5.4 billion, according to a Congressional study.
Saudi Arabia ranked second in such agreements at $3.4 billion while China ranked third with $2.8 billion in agreements.
However, there was a difference between the agreements and the actual deliveries of arms. The Congressional Research Service report on 'Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1998-2005,' says that Saudi Arabia was the leading recipient of deliveries, involving arms worth $3.5 billion, followed by Israel with $1.7 billion and India ranked third with $1.6 billion.
According to the study, Russia emerged as the major supplier of arms to the developing countries in 2005 with sale agreements of $7 billion as against $5.4 billion in 2004.
France ranked second at $6.3 billion and the US ranked third with nearly $6.2 billion, followed by the United Kingdom with $2.8 billion and Spain with $2.2 billion.
India was also the leading developing world arms purchaser from 1998-2005, making arms transfer agreements totaling $20.7