exactly. It is extremely unlikely that there will be a full scale war between India and China; perhaps only border skirmishes. A ballistic missile deterrence can only help to "balance" the stakes and make the region more stable. I also wonder whether the OP and others who post suggestions for getting rid of poverty really mean? These are rocket-scientists, not social scientists. The resources allocated for poverty reduction programs is already quite staggering....pouring more money cannot solve the problem; it is a social and economic change that will occur eventually. Meanwhile, one can secure the territorial integrity of India and build expertise in missile systems, among other things...which surely can't be a bad thing, especially since it looks like there is gonna be a space race sooner than anybody thought about.