Key Points

• According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has expanded its nuclear warhead inventory to 190 in 2025.
  • highlights India's strategic shift towards developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets across China.
• India maintains a "No First Use " (NFU) policy.
• Nodal Department:
  • Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) directly under Prime Minister's Office handles nuclear technology.
  • Strategic Forces Command (SFC) manages India's nuclear warheads and delivery systems under the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).

Deterrence Theory

• Nuclear deterrence is a psychological and military strategy designed to prevent conflict rather than win it.
• relies on influencing an adversary's cost-benefit calculus.
• Classic deterrence works by convincing a potential aggressor that the consequences of an attack will far outweigh any conceivable benefits.
  • Credible Threat
  • Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
  • Second-Strike Capability