According to Brandon J. Weichert of National Interest, India’s test-firing of the Agni-V nuclear-capable missile with MIRV technology in August 2025 signifies New Delhi’s strategic shift towards multi-front nuclear deterrence amid deteriorating ties with both traditional allies and regional adversaries. This test-firing is far more than just a routine military exercise.
An important turning point in India’s nuclear development has been reached with the successful deployment of the Agni-V. With the help of this three-stage, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, India can now strike targets more than 5,000 kilometres away, putting the whole Asian continent within striking distance. More importantly, a single missile may launch numerous nuclear warheads against distinct targets hundreds of miles apart thanks to the missile’s numerous Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, which was first shown during “Mission Divyastra” in March 2024.
The Agni-V was specifically created to challenge China’s increasing nuclear dominance. China has 600 nuclear weapons, while India has about 180. Beijing is aggressively increasing its arsenal by an estimated 100 warheads per year, with a goal of 1,500 warheads by 2035. New Delhi is especially concerned about China’s construction of nuclear missile silo fields in the northern Indian province of Xinjiang.
The imbalance in strategy is glaring. While India’s nuclear arsenal has historically concentrated on shorter-range systems aimed at Pakistan, China possesses sophisticated ICBMs with ranges surpassing 7,000 miles, such as the Dong Feng-5 and DF-41. By filling this gap, the Agni-V allows India to use launch locations in central and southern India to strike China’s eastern seaboard population areas.
India is modernising its nuclear arsenal beyond land-based missiles. Together with INS Arihant, two nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines that can shoot K-15 missiles with 750-kilometer range, the August 2024 commissioning of INS Arighaat enhanced India’s sea-based nuclear deterrence. With their ability to stay underwater indefinitely, these submarines offer survivable second-strike capabilities that are crucial to India’s “No First Use” policy.
With its land, air, and sea-based delivery systems, India joins a select group of countries that also includes the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. Given India’s stated policy of assured retaliation and credible minimum deterrence, the maritime component appears especially important.
The battle between India and Pakistan in May 2025 revealed South Asia’s perilous nuclear dynamics. Both countries escalated through drone warfare and missile strikes targeting military bases when India launched Operation Sindoor missile strikes on Pakistani soil in retaliation for the Pahalgam terrorist incident. The four-day fight showed how conventional military constraints might force India into nuclear escalation and was the first drone battle between nuclear-armed powers.
Experts caution that India’s improved nuclear capabilities lead to distorted incentives when paired with limitations in conventional force. Given the availability of more advanced nuclear weapons like the Agni-V, Indian policymakers may be tempted to consider nuclear escalation if their conventional forces perform poorly in future confrontations with Pakistan. This dynamic runs counter to conventional deterrence theory, which holds that nuclear weapons should lessen escalation risks rather than raise them.
The Agni-V test was conducted in the midst of a sharp decline in US-Indian relations. Decades of bipartisan efforts to fortify the Indo-American strategic relationship have been severely undermined by President Trump’s imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian imports, the highest rate ever applied to any country. “Unfair” and “unjustified” are the terms used to describe the tariffs, which were imposed to put pressure on India over its purchases of Russian oil.
Indian authorities are extremely concerned about Trump’s increasing contact with Pakistan’s military leadership, which includes inviting Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to the White House and giving Pakistan special tariff rates of 19%. This might remove important barriers that historically stopped hostilities from reaching nuclear heights, marking a dramatic turnaround from earlier American restraining responsibilities during Indo-Pakistani crises.
Days after Trump announced his tariffs, the Agni-V test was held, sending a clear warning to Washington. Only five other countries have advanced MIRV technology, which India demonstrated, indicating New Delhi’s resolve to preserve strategic independence in the face of economic pressure from the United States. The “Make In India” initiative’s development of the missile places a strong emphasis on domestic technological capabilities that are not dependent on outside suppliers.
Broader geopolitical realignments are also reflected in India’s nuclear upgrading. As US relations worsen, India has become more involved with Russia, hosting President Putin and continuing to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS in spite of US protests. India’s multi-alignment strategy is supported by the Agni-V test, which shows that economic pressure won’t change India’s strategic thinking.
Advanced technology including composite motor casings that increase range while reducing weight and ring-laser gyroscope-based inertial navigation systems are included in the Agni-V. Its canister-launch method greatly lessens vulnerability to preemptive strikes by facilitating road mobility and quick deployment. The missile’s strategic worth is further enhanced by its possible anti-satellite capabilities.
India’s continuous development of intercontinental attack capabilities is demonstrated by the Agni-VI missile, which is anticipated to carry up to 10 MIRV warheads with a range of 12,000 kilometres. These events point to India’s transition from a regional to a global nuclear power, which would drastically change strategic calculations in a number of theatres.
The Agni-V is India’s strategic reaction to a security landscape that is becoming more complicated due to China’s nuclear buildup, Pakistan’s ongoing threats, and the decline in U.S. ties.
The missile system not only strengthens deterrence against conventional enemies but also conveys India’s will to uphold its strategic independence in the face of outside pressure. India’s nuclear modernisation guarantees that New Delhi’s voice cannot be disregarded in international strategic calculations, whether in Beijing, Islamabad, or Washington, in an era of great power competition.
