India has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan; China ups its game: Report

China is believed to have some warheads on high operational alert.

India has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan while China has expanded its nuclear arsenal from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 by January 2024, according to a Swedish think-tank.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said India's "stored" nuclear warheads were 172 in January this year while the number for Pakistan was 170. According to the report, India slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2023. Both India and Pakistan continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems in 2023.

The SIPRI report said  Pakistan remains the focus of India's nuclear deterrent. However, India appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets throughout China.

Meanwhile, China’s nuclear arsenal increased from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024. It is expected to keep growing. “Some 2,100 of the deployed warheads were kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles, and nearly all of them belonged to Russia or the US,” stated the report.

On China, Hans Kristensen of SIPRI said it was expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country.

"But in nearly all the nuclear-armed states there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces," PTI quoted Kristensen as saying.

However, for the first time, China is believed to have some warheads on high operational alert.

The SIPRI said nine nuclear-armed states -the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel -- continued to modernise their nuclear arsenals and several deployed new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023. Of the total global inventory of an estimated 12,121 warheads in January 2024, about 9,585 were in military stockpiles for potential use, it said.

On China, Hans Kristensen of SIPRI said it was expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country.

"But in nearly all the nuclear-armed states there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces," PTI quoted Kristensen as saying.

Russia and the US together possess almost 90 per cent of all nuclear weapons, as per the report.  Russia is estimated to have deployed around 36 more warheads with operational forces than in January 2023, the think tank  said.

(With inputs from agency)