NEW DELHI: India has become the third largest military spender in the world, after the US and China, according to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report. This is the first time that India and China are among the top three military spenders.India’s “tensions” and “rivalry” with Pakistan and China are among the main reasons for its increased military expenditure. India’s military spending grew by 6.8 percent to $71.1 billion in 2019, according to the SIPRO report on “Trends in World Military Expenditure , 2019”. This was the highest military spending in South Asia Total global military expenditure rose to $1,917 billion in 2019, which is an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2018 and the largest annual growth in spending since 2010. The five largest spenders, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, in 2019 accounted for 62 per cent of the expenditure. Military spending by the US, which is the highest, grew by 5.3 per cent to a total of $732 billion in 2019 and accounted for 38 per cent of global military spending.India’s military expenditure has risen significantly over the past few decades. It grew by 259 per cent over the 30-year period 1990 and 2019 and by 37 per cent over the decade 2010–19. However, its military burden fell from 2.7 per cent of GDP in 2010 to 2.4 per cent in 2019.“India’s tensions and rivalry with both Pakistan and China are among the major drivers for its increased military spending,’ says Siemon T. Wezeman, SIPRI Senior Researcher.China, the world’s second-largest military spender, is estimated to have allocated $261 billion to the military in 2019—equivalent to 14 per cent of the global military expenditure. Its military spending in 2019 was 5.1 per cent higher than in 2018 and 85 per cent higher than in 2010. “China’s military expenditure has increased continuously since 1994 (for 25 consecutive years). The growth in its military spending has closely matched the country’s economic growth. Between 2010 and 2019, China’s military burden remained almost unchanged, at 1.9 per cent of its GDP,” the SIPRI report stated.Pakistan’s military expenditure rose by 70 per cent over the decade 2010–19, to reach $10.3 billion last year. Its military burden increased from 3.4 per cent of GDP in 2010 to 4.0 per cent in 2019. Pakistan was at the 24th position on world military spending last year.India’s military spending has also grown due to an expanding salary and pension bill of its armed forces personnel and capital expenditure for procuring warships, submarines, aircraft and helicopters.In 2018, India was the fourth largest military spender, a spot below Saudi Arabia. India had spent $66.5 billion in 2018. In 2019, Saudi Arabia’s decrease and the increase in Russia’s spending (4.5 per cent) led to Russia moving to fourth position from fifth, while Saudi Arabia fell from third to fifth.