India’s nuclear arsenal estimated at 190 warheads: US report
Think tank SIPRI had estimated a similar number in June
New Delhi: India’s nuclear arsenal is estimated at 190 warheads, including around 30 additional warheads intended for new missiles currently under production.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a US-based non-profit policy think tank, in its report said the FAS estimate broadly aligns with the findings of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The report said SIPRI estimated that India possessed a growing stockpile of about 190 nuclear weapons as of January 2026, a slight increase from the previous year. The assessment formed part of SIPRI’s annual review of the state of armaments, disarmament and international security.
In its latest report, the FAS said its estimates were derived from analyses of open-source information, state-originating data and commercial satellite imagery.
“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,” said Hans Kristensen, Director of the FAS Nuclear Information Project, in an article titled ‘India’s Nuclear Weapons 2026’.
According to the report, India’s arsenal includes more than 160 warheads assigned to operational launchers, in addition to warheads intended for new missiles under development. The article, published on Thursday, noted that India has continued to modernise its nuclear arsenal, fielding several new weapon systems in recent years while developing additional platforms to complement or replace existing nuclear-capable aircraft, land-based delivery systems and sea-based assets.
“We estimate that India may have produced enough military plutonium for 140 to 225 nuclear warheads and might have assembled up to 190. With more weapon systems in development, the country’s warhead stockpile will likely increase further,” the report said.
The FAS article noted that, at the beginning of 2026, the International Panel on Fissile Materials estimated India had produced 730kg of weapon-grade plutonium, with a margin of error of about 170 kg. According to the report, that quantity would theoretically be sufficient to produce between 140 and 225 nuclear warheads.
In its June assessment, SIPRI similarly noted that India continues to develop new nuclear weapon delivery systems and is pursuing the capability to deploy multiple warheads on ballistic missiles.
