Indian Defense
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Date of Event:
Jun 18, 2025
India has larger and technologically more advanced nuclear arsenal than Pakistan, looks to counter China’s reach: Report
Story by Express Defence• 1d•
3 min read
India has larger and technologically more advanced nuclear arsenal than Pakistan
India now has more nuclear warheads than Pakistan, according to the latest Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) yearbook 2025, released on Monday. The annual report provides a comprehensive overview of the global nuclear arsenal, military trends, and arms transfers.
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What do we know about India’s expanding nuclear arsenal?
As of January 2025, India is estimated to possess 180 nuclear warheads, slightly more than Pakistan’s 170 warheads. The report also notes that China has a much larger arsenal, with 600 warheads, including 24 that are already deployed either mounted on missiles or stationed at bases with operational forces.
The SIPRI report says India slightly expanded its nuclear stockpile in 2024 and continued developing new nuclear delivery systems. One of the most notable advancements is India’s work on ‘canisterised’ missiles, weapons that can carry mated warheads and may even hold multiple warheads per missile once fully operational.
Nuclear developments in Pakistan and China
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While India has taken strides in modernising its nuclear forces, Pakistan is also upgrading its capabilities. The report highlights Islamabad’s efforts to develop new delivery systems and accumulate fissile material, indicating that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal could continue to grow in the coming years.
China, already far ahead in numbers, continues to modernise and expand its nuclear forces. SIPRI notes that China is one of the few countries, along with Russia and the US, to have missiles capable of carrying multiple warheads, a technology India and Pakistan are still pursuing.
Operation Sindoor and the risk of conflict with Pak
The report makes a brief reference to India’s Operation Sindoor, an event that reportedly included strikes on nuclear-related military infrastructure in Pakistan. According to Matt Korda, Associate Senior Researcher at SIPRI, the combination of these strikes and disinformation campaigns from third parties could have “risked turning a conventional conflict into a nuclear crisis.”
Globally, Russia and the United States continue to dominate nuclear stockpiles with 5,459 and 5,177 warheads, respectively. While many of these are retired, both nations maintain vast arsenals of operational warheads. Other nuclear-armed countries like North Korea, France, and the UK also maintain or are modernising their capabilities.
SIPRI notes that five countries including Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea will now deploy dual-capable missiles, and are working to make them more effective. Earlier, only a few countries deployed missiles with multiple warheads, but today, more nations are moving in that direction.
India’s nuclear strategy
India’s growing stockpile is part of a maturing nuclear triad, a strategy involving delivery of nuclear weapons via aircraft, land-based missiles, and nuclear-powered submarines (SSBNs). Traditionally, India has kept its warheads separate from launch systems during peacetime, but SIPRI suggests that the move toward canisterised missiles and sea-based patrols may indicate a shift in doctrine.
Although Pakistan remains the primary focus of India’s nuclear strategy, the report highlights an increasing emphasis on long-range capabilities that can target locations across China.
Arms imports
The report also mentions that between 2020 and 2024, India was among the top five global arms importers, along with Ukraine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. These five nations accounted for 35% of all global arms imports, highlighting the growing security challenges in their respective regions.
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As nuclear dynamics continue to shift in Asia, India’s modernisation efforts signal a strategic recalibration, not just in relation to Pakistan, but increasingly with an eye on China, the report highlights.
