According to the report, India has added several new weapons in recent years, while other systems capable of delivering nuclear strikes from land, sea and air are at different stages of development. The assessment says India’s nuclear arsenal is likely to continue expanding as these systems progress.
The report estimates that India may have produced enough military plutonium for between 140 and 225 nuclear warheads and may have assembled as many as 190 nuclear warheads.
“Our estimate is that India may have produced enough military plutonium for 140 to 225 nuclear warheads and may have assembled as many as 190 nuclear warheads,” the report said. “With more weapons at various stages of development, India’s stockpile of warheads is likely to grow further.”
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists also estimates that India currently operates nine different nuclear-capable delivery systems. These include two aircraft, six land-based ballistic missiles and one sea-based ballistic missile.
The report further states that at least two additional nuclear-capable systems are under development and nearing completion. These systems are expected to be handed over to the armed forces within one or two years.
“Our estimate is that the operational forces can launch more than 160 nuclear warheads, and additional warheads have been produced for missiles under development, bringing the total number of warheads to 190,” it said.
India does not publish official figures on the size of its nuclear weapons stockpile. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said the estimates published in its Nuclear Notebook are therefore based on analysis of a combination of open sources.
These sources include government information such as official statements, classified documents, budgetary information, military parades and treaty disclosure data. The assessment also draws on non-government sources, including media reports, think tank analyses and industry publications, as well as commercial satellite imagery.
The Bulletin said collecting and analysing accurate information about India’s nuclear forces is considerably more challenging than for many other nuclear-armed countries. India has never disclosed the size of its nuclear stockpile, and Indian officials do not regularly comment on the capabilities of the country’s nuclear arsenal.
Although some official information can be obtained through parliamentary inquiries, budget documents, government statements and other sources, India generally makes limited information about its nuclear arsenal publicly available.
The report identifies the older 100 MWt Dhruva plutonium production reactor, located within the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre complex near Mumbai, as a source of weapons-grade plutonium in India. It also states that the CIRUS reactor, located at the same site, was another source until 2010.
After more than a decade of delays, India’s new 500 MWt Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), located at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research near Kalpakkam, achieved first criticality in April 2026.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ assessment places India’s nuclear arsenal at up to 190 warheads while highlighting the continued development and modernisation of systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
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