Blitz Bureau
INDIA has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in a new yearbook released on June 16, according to Hindustan Times. However, Beijing’s strategic arsenal is bigger than New Delhi’s, it added.
Notably, India’s nuclear inventory does not include tactical nuclear weapons, which are designed for use on the battlefield and are a key component of Pakistan nuclear strategy. 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.
The number of nuclear warheads in the Indian arsenal was 180 as of January 2025 compared to 172 a year earlier, while Pakistan is estimated to have 170 nuclear weapons — the same as last year. China’s arsenal consisted of 600 nuclear warheads in January 2025, up from 500 last year. The SIPRI revises its world nuclear forces data every year based on new information.
The latest report comes after India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck premises of terrorist groups and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok) following the Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead.
It triggered a four-day military confrontation with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, longrange weapons and heavy artillery. Russia and the US have the biggest arsenals among the nine nuclear-armed states — 5,459 and 5,177 respectively, the report said. “Although Pakistan remains the focus of India’s nuclear deterrent, India appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons capable of reaching targets throughout China,” the paper said quoting the think tank. The range of India’s weapons varies between 250-5,500 kilometres.
