Abstract

Ever since India decided to build nuclear weapons in the late 1980s, its transformation from nuclear ambivalence to nuclear resurgence has been phenomenal. This chapter aims to understand the origins and evolution of India's nuclear weapons program. It divides India's nuclear weapons program into three distinct phases depending upon its objective and form: a reserved arsenal (1989–1998), a responsible arsenal (1998–2008), and finally, a resurgent arsenal (2008 onwards). The form and substance of India's nuclear arsenal are shaped by its security requirements and the constraints imposed and opportunities provided by the shifting structures of global politics.