Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has reaffirmed India’s strategic independence following US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that several countries, including Pakistan, were secretly conducting nuclear tests.

Trump also indicated that the United States may consider resuming its own testing program, a statement that sparked international concern about a potential erosion of global nuclear restraint.

Addressing questions on Trump’s claim, Singh remarked that India’s security policies are guided solely by national interest and strategic calculation, not by external pressure or fear.

He stated that if other nations wish to undertake nuclear tests, they are free to do so, but India will respond in its own time and manner. His comments underscored New Delhi’s long-standing position that its nuclear posture remains sovereign and unyielding to coercive provocations.

Singh’s statement aligns with India’s traditional approach of maintaining credible minimum deterrence under its nuclear doctrine, while avoiding reactionary escalation. By asserting that “only the future will tell” what India chooses to do, Singh signalled strategic ambiguity — a deliberate tool used to preserve deterrent credibility without revealing operational intent.

Observers in New Delhi interpret his remarks as a continuation of India’s policy of measured strategic restraint, first articulated after the Pokhran-II tests in 1998. Successive governments have avoided any moves that could suggest instability in India’s deterrence framework, even as the regional security environment around the subcontinent grows more volatile.

Experts suggest that if reports of clandestine tests in Pakistan or elsewhere prove accurate, they would complicate the fragile nuclear balance in South Asia. However, Singh’s response indicates that India will calibrate any future decisions strictly based on its strategic calculus rather than public posturing by other powers.

Analysts also note that Singh’s firm tone effectively dismisses the notion of “nuclear blackmail” influencing policy. The remark reinforces New Delhi’s consistent message that India neither succumbs to intimidation nor seeks confrontation but reserves the right to act decisively when national security demands it.

The renewed attention to nuclear testing rhetoric comes at a time when India is expanding its deterrent capabilities through new missile systems such as the Agni-V and the Agni Prime, alongside developing advanced delivery platforms. These advances strengthen India’s deterrence posture without breaching its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing, which remains technically in place since 1998.

Singh’s comments may therefore serve as both reassurance and warning — reassurance that India remains committed to responsible nuclear stewardship, and warning that its restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. In the evolving global nuclear landscape, his statement reasserts India’s autonomy as a mature nuclear power that acts on principle, not provocation.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)