On January 6, 2003, the Government of India announced the creation of a new Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) responsible for the management of India’s tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. The NCA comprises a political council chaired by the prime minister—the only person entitled to authorise the use of nuclear weapons—served by an executive council chaired by the national security adviser.

Their directives are to be operationalised by a new Strategic Forces Command under the control of a Commander-in-Chief of the rank of Air Marshal (or its equivalent) in charge of the management and administration of the tactical and strategic nuclear forces.

The NCA may be seen as the first stage in the development of an effective and robust command-and-control (C2) and indications-and-warning (I&W) systems and infrastructure for its strategic nuclear force.