India has increased its nuclear warhead count and advanced its delivery systems, maintaining a strategic edge over Pakistan in the region’s nuclear balance, according to the latest annual report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The report estimates India’s arsenal has grown from 172 warheads in 2024 to 180 in 2025.
SIPRI highlights India’s progress in fielding “canisterised” nuclear missiles—delivery systems that allow warheads to be pre-mounted for quicker deployment, even during peacetime. These new-generation platforms are also expected to carry multiple warheads (MIRVs), dramatically improving their strike capability.
Among India’s key advancements are the Agni Prime (Agni-P), with a range of 1,000–2,000 km, and the Agni-5 missile, which recently underwent a successful test under “Mission Divyastra.” The Agni-5 features Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, enabling it to deliver several warheads to different targets from a single missile, with a range exceeding 5,000 km.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Agni-5 MIRV test as a milestone for indigenous defence development, crediting the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the achievement.
While India progresses in strategic missile modernization, Pakistan, too, has been developing new delivery systems and accumulating more fissile material. However, its overall nuclear growth remains slower than India’s.
The SIPRI report also referenced a brief India-Pakistan military clash earlier in 2025, raising alarm over the heightened risk of nuclear escalation during conventional hostilities. SIPRI’s associate researcher Matt Korda cautioned that strikes near nuclear-related military sites and deliberate disinformation could dangerously blur lines between conventional and nuclear warfare.
Meanwhile, the report warns that China’s nuclear build-up is outpacing that of India and Pakistan. SIPRI estimates China is adding around 100 new warheads annually and is constructing approximately 350 new ICBM silos. By 2035, China could hold up to 1,500 warheads—though still only a third of the US or Russian stockpiles.
Globally, SIPRI estimates that as of January 2025, there were 12,241 nuclear warheads, with about 9,614 in active military stockpiles and 3,912 deployed. Around 2,100 of these are on high operational alert, mostly held by the US and Russia, though China may now also maintain some warheads on missiles during peacetime.
SIPRI Director Dan Smith warned of a potential reversal in post-Cold War disarmament trends. “China is increasing its nuclear force steadily,” he said, noting that the global arms control framework is weakening, risking a new nuclear arms race.
All nine nuclear-armed countries—the US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel—continued to invest in modernizing their arsenals in 2024. The focus, SIPRI noted, is not only on expanding warhead numbers but also on deploying more sophisticated and survivable nuclear delivery systems.
