India increases nuclear warhead count to 180, says SIPRI report

India now possesses 180 nuclear warheads, surpassing Pakistan's stable count of 170, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported. This increase of eight warheads from the previous year indicates India's strategic advancements in its nuclear capabilities.

SIPRI, an independent institute founded in 1966, conducts research into conflict and disarmament. Their latest findings suggest that India's augmentation of its nuclear arsenal is part of a broader global trend toward increasing nuclear stockpiles, diverging from post-Cold War reductions.

The report highlights that globally there are 12,241 nuclear warheads among nine nuclear-armed nations, with the United States and Russia owning 90 per cent of these. In contrast, China is emerging rapidly with 600 warheads, showing a more aggressive pace than India's steady expansion.

The recent Operation Sindoor, following the Pahalgam incident, reflects New Delhi’s strategic positioning against nuclear threats, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting, "Terror infra operating under nuclear blackmail will be targeted by India." This underscores India's stance against nuclear coercion and its commitment to maintaining regional stability.

Both India and Pakistan remain outside formal nuclear arms control frameworks. However, SIPRI notes India's modernisation efforts are aligned with its "no first use" policy, ensuring a stable deterrence strategy. In comparison, Pakistan's arsenal development has not seen numerical growth.

India's investments in varied delivery systems across air, sea, and land offer it a credible second-strike capability, which SIPRI considers more robust compared to Pakistan's evolving but limited platforms. This diversification is pivotal for India's strategic defence posture.

The SIPRI report comes in the wake of India's strategic operations against terrorist threats in Pakistan, highlighting a proactive stance in regional security. This development is a significant move in India's defence dynamics amid escalating global tensions.

While the United States and Russia remain the dominant forces with their extensive nuclear inventories, India's methodical expansion marks its rising prominence as a nuclear power, carefully navigating its geopolitical environment.