India expands nuclear arsenal amid global surge in modernisation: SIPRI report

Guwahati, June 17: India has marginally expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and is actively developing advanced nuclear delivery systems, including potentially canisterised missiles capable of carrying multiple warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its Yearbook 2025.

The Swedish think-tank, which released its annual assessment of global armaments, disarmament, and security on Monday, said India’s nuclear developments suggest a continued emphasis on strategic modernisation. It noted that India’s new missile systems, designed for enhanced mobility and rapid deployment, may carry warheads even during peacetime, potentially boosting India’s second-strike capability.

“India is believed to have once again slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems,” SIPRI stated. Among these, India’s progress in canisterised missile technology was particularly highlighted as a significant shift in nuclear posture.

The report also referenced the recent four-day military standoff between India and Pakistan in May 2025, which SIPRI said brought the nuclear-armed neighbours dangerously close to full-scale war. It warned that a combination of military actions and third-party disinformation nearly escalated the conflict into a nuclear crisis.

“This should act as a stark warning for states seeking to increase their reliance on nuclear weapons,” said Matt Korda, Associate Senior Researcher at SIPRI and Associate Director at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).

On Pakistan, the report noted that the country continued to develop new delivery systems and accumulate fissile material, suggesting a possible expansion of its nuclear arsenal over the next decade.

Globally, the SIPRI Yearbook painted a grim picture. Of an estimated 12,241 nuclear warheads in existence as of January 2025, about 9,614 are believed to be in military stockpiles for potential use. Nearly all nine nuclear-armed states — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel — continued to pursue “intensive nuclear modernisation programmes” throughout 2024.

“The gradual dismantlement of retired warheads, especially by Russia and the USA post-Cold War, had previously resulted in year-on-year declines in global nuclear stockpiles,” the think-tank said. “However, this trend is likely to reverse in the coming years, as the pace of dismantlement slows and deployment of new weapons accelerates.”

SIPRI warned that this marks the beginning of a “dangerous new nuclear arms race” at a time when international arms control frameworks are weakening or failing altogether.

- PTI