ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Indian nuclear weapons acquisition in the context of the Sino-Indian protracted conflict. It also examines India's military/security motivation to go nuclear in the context of this conflict. The chapter analyzes the systemic motivations of prestige and status, which may be related to India's concern over China. China is studied as an extra-regional nuclear weapon state to understand the Indian threat perception. India's nuclear weapons acquisition is directly linked to the Chinese nuclear weapons possession. The chapter argues that India considered acquiring nuclear weapons to address the higher-than-normal war-probability in the Sino-Indian Protracted Conflict. The significance of war-probability in this territorial conflict is undeniable and has been a primary security concern of India. The territorial nature of the Sino-Indian conflict, the war-probability and search for a nuclear deterrent capability have all impacted on the Indian nuclear choice.
