The Indian Government announced its formal nuclear doctrine on 4 January 2003, almost five years after testing its nuclear weapons capability in May 1998. While the one-page document Twas vague and subject to interpretation, what was clear was that it reiterated India’s ‘No First Use’ policy.

The BJP’s election manifesto for the 2014 General Election declared that they would study the nuclear doctrine and, if required, update it. Subsequently, the then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi clarified that as far as he was concerned, he would go with the No First Use (NFU) policy as articulated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It evoked an interest in the subject as there have been numerous developments in the region since 2003 which pose challenges to India’s national security.

In August 2014, the Observer Research Foundation’s National Security Initiative, headed by Distinguished Fellow, Dr Manoj Joshi organised a workshop to re-examine India’s nuclear doctrine and NFU. The workshop explored the challenges posed to India by Pakistan’s introduction of battlefield nuclear weapons or Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNWs), New Delhi’s interest in acquiring a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, and the growing threat perception from China.

The workshop was keynoted by Ambassador Shyam Saran and, thereafter,the first session was chaired by Dr. C. Raja Mohan, Head of ORF’s Strategic Studies Programme. The first session focused on issues specific to India’s nuclear doctrine. The second session then explored global trends in nuclear doctrines and where India stood in comparison. Prof. Rajesh Rajagopalan then set the tone for further discussion with his presentation as Dr. Manoj Joshi moderated the session.

This report will delve into the historical context within which India’s nuclear doctrine must be viewed.
The following section outlines India’s experience with nuclear weapons, based on Amb. Shyam Saran’s presentation and the discussions that ensued. The report will also outline the current global nuclear deterrence trends and patterns based on Prof. Rajesh Rajagopalan’s presentation. The report concludes with a set of recommendations drawn from the discussions at the workshop.