Back to a serious discussion. I do appreciate your thoughtful points.
I understand where you're coming from, and I empathize with your desire to see a strong India. However, there is a bigger picture. The more countries that have nukes, the more the chance of a devastating nuclear war that will wipe out the entire human race. The NPT, however imperfect, prevents dangerous nuclear proliferation to a country like India which is locked in a life-or-death feud with its arch-nemesis Pakistan. The danger is that a military conflict will get out of hand, or an Indian leader will lose his cool and the entire world descends into nuclear chaos. That is why so many countries China, Pakistan, Canada, the US, etc. opposed India's nuclear program and nuclear test. Instead of nukes being limited to the five countries, who agreed to gradually decrease number of warheads and missiles (as the START treaty is doing now), more and more nukes are spreading to more and more countries. That is the promise of NPT, and that promise is increasingly under threat due to nuclear proliferation.
For India to think only of its own interests and ignore the larger fate of humanity is not bravery--it is selfishness.