SIPRI Report 2025: India Expands Nuclear Arsenal

Current Context: On 16th June 2025, The SIPRI Yearbook 2025, published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, offers a comprehensive overview of global armaments, disarmament, and international security trends.

Global Highlights

• Total Nuclear Warheads: Estimated at 12,241 globally, with 9,614 in military stockpiles.

Top Nuclear Powers:

• Russia: 5,459 warheads
• USA: 5,177 warheads
• China: 600 warheads (adding ~100 annually since 2023)
• Emerging Arms Race: SIPRI warns of a new nuclear arms race, with weakened arms control regimes and rising geopolitical tensions.

India-Specific Insights

• Warhead Count: Increased from 172 (2024) to 180 in 2025, surpassing Pakistan (170).

Modernisation Drive:

• Development of canisterised missiles (e.g., Agni-P) for quicker deployment and potential MIRV capability.
• Successful test of Agni-5 with MIRV under Mission Divyastra, enabling multiple warheads per missile.

Nuclear Triad: India maintains a mature triad—land-based missiles, aircraft, and nuclear submarines (SSBNs).

Strategic Shift: Indications of a move toward mating warheads with launchers during peacetime, a departure from India’s traditional de-alerted posture.

Question:

Q.1 As per SIPRI 2025, India’s nuclear warhead count in 2025 is:
a) 172
b) 180
c) 165
d) 190

Answer: b) India’s warhead count increased from 172 in 2024 to 180 in 2025, surpassing Pakistan, which is estimated to have 170.