Credible minimum deterrence

Credible Minimum Deterrence is the principle on which India's nuclear strategy are based.

It underlines no first use (NFU) with an assured second strike capability, and falls under minimal deterrence as opposed to mutually assured destruction. India's tentative nuclear doctrine was announced on August 17, 1999 by the then secretary of the National Security Advisory Board, Brajesh Mishra.

Later this draft was adopted with some modifications when the Nuclear Command Authority was announced on January 4, 2003. A significant modification was the dilution of the NFU principle to include nuclear retaliation to attacks by biological and chemical weapons.