New Delhi: On May 18, 1974, India achieved a historic milestone by successfully conducting its first nuclear test at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan, announcing its arrival as a nuclear capable nation. The mission, known as Operation Smiling Buddha, transformed India’s strategic standing and placed it among a select group of countries possessing nuclear technology.
The operation was led by Raja Ramanna, who was serving as the director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at the time. The test was conducted on Buddha Purnima, which inspired the codename “Smiling Buddha.”
India tested a nuclear device at the Pokhran firing range, with estimates suggesting the explosion yielded between 8 and 12 kilotons of TNT. Though the precise yield remains debated even decades later, the detonation marked a defining moment in India’s scientific progress and national security strategy.
With the successful test, India became the sixth country in the world to conduct a nuclear explosion. Before that, only the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France and China — had demonstrated nuclear capability.
One of the most remembered moments from the mission came after the successful detonation, when Raja Ramanna reportedly informed then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by saying, “The Buddha has smiled.”
Operation Smiling Buddha also gained global attention because the test was reportedly carried out without detection by major international intelligence agencies, including those of the United States. The secrecy surrounding the operation highlighted India’s growing scientific and technological capabilities during that period.
The test, however, triggered sharp international reactions. Several Western nations imposed sanctions and restrictions on India over concerns linked to nuclear proliferation.
The roots of the project dated back to 1972, when Indira Gandhi authorised Indian scientists to develop an indigenous nuclear device. More than two decades later, India expanded its nuclear programme further by conducting another series of tests at Pokhran in May 1998.
