How Many Nukes Does India Have?
How many nuclear warheads India holds, what carries them, and its test and treaty record, as of early 2026. Two independent counts (FAS and SIPRI) are shown side by side, every figure cited.
India has an estimated 190 nuclear warheads as of early 2026 (FAS). FAS lists none as deployed and 178 held in reserve. SIPRI counts 12 as deployed within the same total.[1, 2]
Warhead count
FAS and SIPRI are compiled by the same analysts and agree on the totals; they split the categories slightly differently. Retired warheads are awaiting dismantlement and are not part of the reserve.
FAS (beginning of 2026 (FAS page updated 2026-06-09))
| Deployed (strategic) | 0 |
|---|---|
| Reserve / nondeployed | 178 |
| Military stockpile | 190 |
| Total inventory | 190 |
SIPRI (January 2026 (SIPRI Yearbook 2026, Table 8A.1))
| Deployed | 12 |
|---|---|
| Stored (nondeployed) | 178 |
| Military stockpile | 190 |
| Retired, awaiting dismantlement | . . |
| Total inventory | 190 |
Terms: deployed = on missiles or at bomber bases; reserve / stored = non-deployed but in the stockpile; military stockpile = deployed + reserve; retired = withdrawn, awaiting dismantlement; total inventory = stockpile + retired.[1, 2]
How India delivers them
Delivery systems from the latest Nuclear Notebook / SIPRI table (2026 (Table 1, Nuclear Notebook published 2026-09-09)). A “?” or a dash is the source’s own mark of an uncertain or unstated figure.[3]
| System | Type | Launchers | Warhead × yield | Weapons | Year | Warheads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtotal | 48 | 48 | ||||
| Mirage 2000H | aircraft | 32 | 1 × 12 kt bomb | . . | ||
| Jaguar IS | aircraft | 16 | 1 × 12 kt bomb | . . | ||
| Subtotal | 88 | 104 | ||||
| Prithvi-II | land-based missile (range 250 km) | 24 | 1 × 12 kt | 24 | ||
| Agni-I | land-based missile (range 700+ km) | 16 | 1 × 10–40 kt | 16 | ||
| Agni-II | land-based missile (range 2,000+ km) | 16 | 1 × 10–40 kt | 16 | ||
| Agni-III | land-based missile (range 3,200+ km) | 16 | 1 × 10–40 kt | 16 | ||
| Agni-IV | land-based missile (range 3,500+ km) | 8 | 1 × 10–40 kt | 8 | ||
| Agni-V | land-based missile (range 5,000+ km) | 8 | (1–3 × 10–40 kt MIRV) | 24 | ||
| Agni-P | land-based missile (range 1,000–2,000 km) | . . | (1 × 10–40 kt) | (2027) | . . | |
| Subtotal | 1 SSBN / 12 missiles | 12 | ||||
| K-15 (B-05) | SLBM (range 700 km) | 1/12 | 1 × 12 kt | 12 | ||
| K-4 | SLBM (range 3,500 km) | (2/12) | 1 × 10–40 kt | (2027) | . . |
- 148 launchers | 190 warheads (164 assigned + [26] other stored)[3]
Blast radius of India’s warheads
For each distinct warhead yield in India’s arsenal, the air-burst 5 psi (most homes destroyed) and 3rd-degree-burn radii, calculated by the same engine as the blast radius calculator.[4, 5]
India’s nuclear tests
- First date site
- 1974-05-18 02:34:55 GMT, Pokhran test range[6]
- First yield declared
- 10–15[6]
- First yield refined
- 12[6]
- First govt statement
- 1974 demonstration of nuclear capability[7]
- 1998 05 11
- three underground tests at the Pokhran range[7]
- 1998 05 11 declared yields
- 43–45 kt; 12–15 kt; 0.2 kt (55–60 kt total)[6]
- Last
- 1998-05-13: two sub-kiloton devices[7]
- Last declared yields
- 0.5 kt; 0.3 kt (0.8 kt total)[6]
No fetched source states an all-time total for India; the dated test events above are listed instead.
Treaty status
Frequently asked questions
How many nuclear weapons does India have?
India has an estimated 190 nuclear warheads as of early 2026, according to the Federation of American Scientists. SIPRI’s January 2026 count is the same.[1]
When did India first test a nuclear weapon?
India’s first nuclear test is recorded as 1974-05-18 02:34:55 GMT, Pokhran test range.[6]
Is India part of the Non-Proliferation Treaty?
On the Non-Proliferation Treaty, India is: non-party (never joined).[8]
Every figure on this page comes from a verified primary source, cited inline and listed below. Warhead counts are the Federation of American Scientists’ Status of World Nuclear Forces and SIPRI’s Yearbook; delivery systems come from the Nuclear Notebook; blast radii are calculated from Glasstone & Dolan scaling laws. Candidate and unverified figures are withheld.
Data as of 22 October 2026. By Marko Visic, BSc Physics.
Sources
- 1.Source: Federation of American Scientists (Kristensen, Korda, Johns, Knight-Boyle, Kohn), Status of World Nuclear Forces (2026 estimates; page updated 9 Jun 2026) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 2.Source: SIPRI (Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda), SIPRI Yearbook 2026, ch. 8: World nuclear forces (Appendix 8A, Tables 8A.1, 8A.4, 8A.5; January 2026) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 3.Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists / FAS (Kristensen, Korda, Johns, Knight-Boyle), Indian nuclear weapons, 2026, Table 1 (Sep 2026) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 4.Source: U.S. DoD / DOE (Glasstone & Dolan, via Atomic Archive), The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, 3rd ed. (1977) §2.127 — retrieved Oct 2026
- 5.Source: Wikipedia, Effects of nuclear explosions — scaling-law table — retrieved Oct 2026
- 6.Source: FFI - Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (H. K. Toft), De kjernefysiske provesprengningene i India og Pakistan (1974 og 1998), FFI/RAPPORT-2003/00459 — retrieved Oct 2026
- 7.Source: Government of India (copy hosted by GlobalSecurity.org), Evolution of India's Nuclear Policy, paper laid on the table of the Lok Sabha (27 May 1998) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 8.Source: Arms Control Association, The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) at a Glance (reviewed Jul 2024) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 9.Source: Arms Control Association, The Status of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Signatories and Ratifiers (reviewed Jul 2024) — retrieved Oct 2026
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