India's nuclear firepower is backed by a structured and credible nuclear triad that includes land-based ballistic missiles, sea-based submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and cruise missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads.

As of 2025, India has an estimated nuclear warhead stockpile of around 180, forming a credible minimum deterrent posture against regional and global adversaries.​

India's nuclear strategy is built on assured retaliation and credible minimum deterrence, avoiding reliance on sheer numbers and focusing on survivability and precision.

The triad includes intercontinental and intermediate-range ballistic missiles for land-based strikes, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) for second-strike capability, and air-launched nuclear weapons.

This triad ensures a retaliatory capability under any attack scenario, fulfilling the strategic objective to deter aggression effectively.​

Top 6 Most Powerful Indian Nuclear-Capable Missiles

1. Agni-V

The Agni-V is an advanced Indian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by DRDO. It features a three-stage, solid-fuel propulsion system and is capable of being launched from a road-mobile, cannisterised launcher that allows rapid deployment and reduced launch preparation time. The missile has a base range of approximately 5,400 to 5,500 km, which can be extended to 7,000–8,000 km, making it capable of striking targets across Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa.

The Agni-V is designed to carry a payload of 3,000 to 4,000 kg, including a nuclear warhead. It has the potential for Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) capability, meaning it can carry 10 to 12 separate nuclear warheads, each capable of hitting different targets—a feature that significantly enhances India's strategic deterrence. The missile attains speeds up to Mach 24 (around 29,400 km/h), making it one of the fastest missiles in the world.

Key technical details include a length of 17.5 meters, a diameter of 2 meters, and a launch weight of 50,000 to 56,000 kg. The missile has undergone numerous successful tests, with the first flight test in April 2012 and continued enhancements since then. Its solid-fuel, cannisterised design protects the missile from environmental conditions and reduces maintenance needs, and its road mobility allows flexible deployment and survivability against threats.


2. Agni-Prime (Agni-P)

The Agni-Prime (or Agni-P) missile is the sixth missile in India's Agni series, developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. It is a two-stage, solid-fuelled, canister-launched, surface-to-surface ballistic missile with an operational range of 1,000 to 2,000 km. This medium-range ballistic missile can carry a payload of up to 1.5 tons, including nuclear, thermobaric, or high-explosive warheads.

Key features of the Agni-Prime include advanced propulsion, guidance, and navigation systems derived from the Agni-IV and Agni-V missiles. It boasts a dual redundant navigation and guidance system for enhanced reliability and high accuracy, with a circular error probability of less than 10 meters. The missile is lighter and more agile than its predecessors, weighing around 11,000 kg, approximately 50% lighter than the Agni-III series.

A distinctive aspect of the Agni-Prime is its capability to be launched from a rail-based mobile launcher, providing strategic mobility, concealment, and rapid response, thus strengthening India's second-strike nuclear capability and credible deterrence posture.

The Agni-Prime missile represents a significant technological advancement in India's ballistic missile arsenal, bridging the capabilities between short-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles while enhancing survivability and operational flexibility.​​

3. Prithvi-II

Prithvi-II is a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed indigenously by DRDO. It was first introduced into service in 2003 and is deployed by India's Strategic Forces Command.

The missile has a range of around 350 kilometres and can carry a payload of up to 1,000 kg, including conventional or nuclear warheads. It was initially developed for the Indian Air Force and later inducted into the Indian Army as well.

Prithvi-II is liquid-fuelled and uses an advanced inertial guidance system with a manoeuvring trajectory to achieve high precision in targeting. It forms an integral part of India's nuclear deterrent and strategic arsenal, emphasizing its role in tactical and strategic military capabilities.​

4. Agni-IV

The Agni-IV is an Indian intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) developed by DRDO, with a range of up to 4,000 km, capable of striking targets across most of mainland China when launched from north-eastern India. It weighs about 17 tonnes, is 20 meters long, and uses a two-stage solid rocket propulsion system. It can carry a 1,000 kg payload, which may be conventional or nuclear warheads.

The missile is designed for high accuracy, employing advanced technology such as a ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system (RINS) augmented by a micro-navigation system, achieving high precision and reliability. It is equipped with a re-entry heat shield capable of withstanding temperatures over 3,000 degrees Celsius, ensuring the warhead's protection upon re-entering the atmosphere.

5. K-15 Sagarika

The K-15 Sagarika missile is an Indian submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with a range of about 750 kilometers, designed to carry nuclear warheads and complete India's nuclear triad. Also known as the B-05, it is a medium-range ballistic missile and is part of the K Missile family. The Sagarika missile is deployed on the Arihant-class submarines. 

The K-15 Sagarika was India’s entry into the underwater nuclear delivery field. It has a range of 750-1,500 km, launched from ballistic missile submarines, providing survivability and second-strike capability to India's nuclear force. This missile underpins the sea-based leg of the triad.

6. K-4 Missile

The K-4 is an intermediate-range, nuclear-capable, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed by India. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it has a range of approximately 3,500 kilometers and can carry a 2-ton nuclear warhead. It is a critical component of India's nuclear triad, enhancing its second-strike capability by allowing it to be launched from nuclear-powered submarines like the INS Arighaat.

Extending India’s underwater reach, the K-4 missile has a range of approximately 3,500 km and carries both nuclear and conventional warheads. It enables Indian submarines to operate farther from hostile coastlines while maintaining credible strike capacity, ensuring layered sea-based deterrence.

7. BrahMos Missile

Finally, the BrahMos missile is a long-range, supersonic cruise missile developed jointly by India and Russia through BrahMos Aerospace. It is capable of being launched from multiple platforms including land, sea (ships and submarines), and air (fighter aircraft).

The missile travels at speeds up to Mach 3, making it one of the world's fastest cruise missiles. It features a two-stage propulsion system: a solid rocket booster for initial launch and a liquid-fuelled ramjet sustainer that maintains high supersonic speeds during cruise.

BrahMos has a range starting from around 290 km in its original versions, extended up to 500 km, with next-generation variants reaching ranges up to 800 km or more, and plans for hypersonic versions reaching 1,500 km.

The missile is known for its high precision with a strike accuracy rate of about 99.99%, and it can be armed with conventional warheads weighing between 200 and 300 kg. It is capable of performing steep dive attacks with high kinetic energy impact, causing significant damage to reinforced targets like naval ships, military bases, and critical infrastructure.

BrahMos can be deployed in various combat roles and is operational with the Indian Armed Forces in multiple regiments. Its versatility, speed, and precision have established it as a critical strategic weapon that is difficult to intercept and counter.

Strength And Size of Nuclear Arsenal

India’s estimated 180 nuclear warheads as of 2025 reflect a steady modernisation and expansion effort. The arsenal balances strategic weapons with a credible deterrence doctrine, designed primarily to deter nuclear aggression, particularly from neighbouring states like Pakistan and a strategic competitor, China.

New warhead production capabilities and delivery system improvements, including multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) under development, point towards enhanced future capabilities.​

Strategic Implications

The Indian nuclear triad with its range diversity and multi-platform launches forms a formidable deterrent that ensures survivability and credible retaliatory strike under various conflict scenarios.

India's approach emphasises precision, survivability, and flexibility rather than sheer numerical superiority, aligning with its declared no-first-use policy and minimum deterrence doctrine. The combined use of Agni series, K-series submarine missiles, and BrahMos cruise missiles form an effective, integrated nuclear force aimed at strategic stability in Asia.​

This comprehensive nuclear missile capability positions India as a significant regional nuclear power with a credible, multi-layered deterrent against potential adversaries, enhancing its strategic autonomy and defence posture.​

Based On WION Report