Overview
- The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) published a report in September 2026 that estimates India may have produced and assembled about 190 nuclear warheads, including roughly 30 tied to missiles now in production.
- FAS says more than 160 warheads are assigned to operational launchers and that the 190 figure combines force-structure analysis with open-source and commercial satellite imagery.
- The estimate uses an International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) figure of about 730 kg of weapon-grade plutonium as of early 2026 and notes that, at an assumed four kilograms of plutonium per warhead, that stock could theoretically support roughly 140–225 warheads.
- The report stresses large uncertainties about actual warhead designs and whether all plutonium has been converted to warheads, and it warns that delivery capacity—how many missiles, aircraft or submarines can carry warheads—will limit realistic stockpile size.
- New Delhi has told Parliament it remains committed to no-first-use and credible minimum deterrence, and analysts say the FAS findings are likely to drive closer monitoring by neighbors, Renew debate over transparency, and shape discussions about submarine patrols and missile deployments.