NSG Expansion for Non NPT States: Criteria and Candidacy

Although Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) came into existence after a year against India's nuclear test in 1974, its powerful members possessing nuclear weapons appear to be creating exceptionalism while at the same time attempting to encourage and support Indian membership at the NSG. This article argues that major powers Party to the NSG undertake these potential measures without realizing collective normative posture of the NSG and the subsequent challenges this could create for South Asian deterrence stability when India, once becoming an NSG member, could then utilize its Veto power to prevent Pakistan from even becoming part of the NSG. This article finds out that in addition to the normative posture of the NSG as a rising influential cartel group, it is observed that India appears to have a greater support by eventually getting NSG's membership because of its growing strategic partnership with leading powers more particularly with the predominant player, the US in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of its offshore balancing/Pivot to Asia strategy against the rising potential regional power, say China, that the US is closely working with India in its rise to either balance or contain the spread of China in the Indian-Ocean region. Therefore, this article concludes that the NSG's future decision-making processes with regard to its expansion policy could be fraught with certain policy decision largely influenced by the growing geopolitical reasons between the major/leading players and like-minded power aspirant states in the Southern Asia region.