India becomes 6th largest Nuclear-armed nation

With 172 nuclear warheads, India now ranks 6th globally—just ahead of Pakistan and closing in on the UK.

The shift underscores India’s strategic ambitions amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific and a renewed global arms race.

Russia and the US still dominate the charts, but India’s position signals a longer-term doctrine of credible deterrence. It also highlights a broader trend: emerging powers aren’t just growing economically, they’re asserting military weight too.