India pitches ‘affordable’ military equipment to Africa amid anti-China defence push

India showed off its domestically-made military equipment to army chiefs and officers from 31 African nations on March 29, 2023, pitching its weapons as more affordable than Western-made kits. India is the world’s largest importer of defence equipment, but political analysts say the country’s recent surge in arms sales points to its desire to become a major exporter in a bid to counter China’s growing assertiveness.