SIPRI 2025: India Now Ranks 6th Globally with 180 Nuclear Warheads.
Science and Technology
According to the latest Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) data released for January 2025, India’s nuclear stockpile has expanded to 180 warheads, up from 172 in 2024. This uptick represents an addition of eight nuclear weapons within a year
- With this increase, India now holds the sixth-largest nuclear arsenal globally, placing behind Russia (4,309), United States (3,700), China (600), France (290), and the United Kingdom (225), and narrowly ahead of Pakistan, which maintains 170 warheads.
- SIPRI’s yearbook highlights India’s adoption of next-gen canisterised missiles, such as the Agni‑Prime, and preparation for MIRV‑capable Agni‑V/VI systems, enhancing missile readiness, storage safety, and deployment flexibility.
- India’s nuclear triad is now fully operational—land-based with the Agni series, air-launched via Mirage 2000, Jaguar, and Rafale aircraft, and sea-based through SSBNs like INS Arihant and INS Arighaat—ensuring a survivable second-strike capacity.
Main Point :- (i) New Delhi continues to uphold its “No First Use” (NFU) nuclear doctrine, emphasizing massive retaliation in response to nuclear aggression. Expanded stockpiles and delivery systems reinforce this posture, aimed at maintaining credible deterrence, especially within South Asia.
(ii) The gap between India’s and Pakistan’s arsenals has now widened to 10 warheads, reshaping the strategic equilibrium. Meanwhile, China’s continuing expansion (now at 600 warheads) signals competition. Experts warn that global arms-control mechanisms are weakening—raising the stakes for regional and international nuclear diplomacy.
(iii) India’s nuclear arsenal, now at 180 warheads, signals a decisive shift in strategic balance—outpacing Pakistan and asserting itself within the nuclear hierarchy. SIPRI’s 2025 data underscores India’s continued investment in modern deterrence, even as it navigates complex global and regional security dynamics.
About Pakistan
Prime minister: Shehbaz Sharif
Capital : Islamabad
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