According to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has, for the first time, classified 12 nuclear warheads as “deployed,” marking a notable development in its nuclear posture. The report suggests a departure from New Delhi’s long-standing practice of storing nuclear warheads separately from their delivery systems. SIPRI notes that India’s nuclear arsenal is now considered operationally deployed rather than merely stockpiled. The move is said to involve the placement of ready-to-launch weapons in underground missile silos and aboard newer nuclear-powered submarines, indicating a higher level of operational readiness.The report further states that the 12 warheads represent the first known instance of India either mating nuclear warheads with delivery systems or positioning them at bases with active operational forces.