India likely has 190 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, outstripping Pakistan
India is estimated to have 190 nuclear warheads, about 20 more than Pakistan, according to a new assessment by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a US-based nonprofit policy think tank.
In an article titled 'India's Nuclear Weapons – 2026', Hans Kristensen, director of the FAS Nuclear Information Project, said India has more than 160 warheads for operational launchers, with additional warheads associated with new missile systems under production.
"Based on available public information about its nuclear-capable delivery force structure and strategy, we estimate that India may have produced around 190 nuclear warheads," the report said.
The estimate puts India among the world's largest nuclear powers, although its arsenal remains far smaller than those of the US, Russia and China. India's stockpile could also soon overtake Britain's estimated 225 warheads as New Delhi continues to develop and deploy new nuclear-capable missile systems.
The assessment is based on open-source information, government data and commercial satellite imagery. FAS said India has continued to modernise its nuclear arsenal, with several new systems fielded in recent years and others under development.PLUTONIUM STOCKPILE
The report said India may have produced enough military plutonium for between 140 and 225 nuclear warheads and could have assembled up to 190.
As of early 2026, the International Panel on Fissile Materials estimated that India had produced about 730 kg, plus or minus 170 kg, of weapon-grade plutonium. Assuming roughly 4 kg of plutonium per warhead, that amount could theoretically support between 140 and 225 warheads.
FAS, however, cautioned that the calculation has limitations because the exact designs and quantities of India's warheads remain unclear. India's 1998 nuclear tests reliably validated a fission design, but the country's progress on boosted-fission and thermonuclear designs remains uncertain.
The report also said India is unlikely to have converted all its available plutonium into warheads and may have kept some in reserve.INDIA’S NO-FIRST-USE DOCTRINE
India has maintained a nuclear no-first-use (NFU) policy since its 1998 Pokhran-II tests. The government recently reiterated the position in Parliament, saying India is committed to "credible minimum deterrence" and a posture of "no first use" of nuclear weapons.
The policy means India does not officially plan to use nuclear weapons first in a conflict. Its nuclear strategy instead centres on maintaining a credible retaliatory capability.
Pakistan, by contrast, does not follow an NFU policy and reserves the right to use nuclear weapons first. Islamabad's nuclear posture is largely designed to offset India's conventional military advantage. Pakistani officials have repeatedly described nuclear weapons as a strategic shield against large-scale conventional attacks. Islamabad resorted to nuclear sabre-rattling after New Delhi put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
FAS said India's nuclear stockpile also depends on the number and types of systems capable of delivering the weapons. It is therefore unlikely that India would produce significantly more warheads than its available launchers can carry.US, RUSSIA STILL DOMINATE
Despite the growth of smaller nuclear arsenals, the global nuclear balance remains heavily concentrated in the US and Russia.
FAS estimates that Russia has about 5,420 nuclear warheads, including around 4,400 in its military stockpile. The US has about 5,042 warheads, of which roughly 3,700 are in its military stockpile.
Together, the two countries account for about 86 per cent of the world's total nuclear inventory.
China ranks third with an estimated 620 warheads. Its arsenal is expanding rapidly, with the US Department of Defense having previously projected that China could have around 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030.
France is estimated to have about 370 warheads, followed by the UK with 225. Pakistan has around 170, Israel about 90 and North Korea roughly 60.
The figures show that while the global nuclear arsenal remains well below its Cold War peak, the balance is shifting as countries such as China and India expand and modernise their nuclear forces.- EndsWith PTI InputsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 10, 2026 12:52 IST
