India's Missile Development and Regional Arms Control

Abstract

The South Asian security landscape has been influenced by India's relentless pursuit of missile development and modernization. This research critically analyze the growing arsenal of India, its ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and new hypersonic technology. It also analyze how the missile race destabilizes the region and makes the process of arms control more complicated while also analyze the implications for Pakistan. The paper argues that India's missile development and nuclear modernization under the pretext of countering China, which inadvertently results in a reactive dynamic in Pakistan, however, India's missile range is not restricted to South Asia, which means that its prestige-oriented logic has resulted in the qualitative and quantitative improvement of its missile resources. It is this action-reaction loop that drives an arms race, undermining strategic stability, enhancing crisis instability, and escalating risks, especially in a region already defined by historical tensions and nuclear rivalry. The paper also examines how these developments pose a setback to regional arms control efforts and confidence-building efforts, which eventually contribute to South Asian insecurity. The paper, through an empirical and policy-oriented study, highlights the need for renewed dialogue and arms control measures to curb the destabilizing effects of missile competition in South Asia.