The Nasr and India’s nuclear command structure, strategy and doctrine

Abstract The deployment of the Tactical Nuclear Weapon (TNW) “Nasr” by Pakistan has led some experts in India to question the credibility of India’s nuclear deterrence. They have called for a change in India’s nuclear doctrine from the stand of “massive retaliation” to a “flexible response” to permit the use of similar weapons. This article examines Indian nuclear thinking to illustrate that the raison d’être of India’s nuclear weapons is deterrence within the strategic domain, not conventional. It further explains how India’s civil-military relations along with its nuclear command and control system have evolved to preclude the use of TNWs.