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India carried out its first successful nuclear test, code-named Smiling Buddha, on 18 May 1974 at Pokhran in Rajasthan during the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi. Officially described as a “Peaceful Nuclear Explosion,” the test established India as a nuclear-capable country.

Smiling Buddha and the Pokhran Test Range

Pokhran, located in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, serves as India’s nuclear test range. The 1974 underground test used plutonium and made India the sixth country in the world to conduct a nuclear explosion, following the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, and China.

Pokhran-II and Operation Shakti

In May 1998, India conducted the Pokhran-II nuclear tests under Operation Shakti. The series included five nuclear explosions and was led by prominent scientists such as A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, R. Chidambaram, and Anil Kakodkar. Following these tests, India formally declared itself a nuclear weapons state.

National Technology Day and Civil Nuclear Cooperation

India celebrates National Technology Day every year on 11 May to commemorate the success of the 1998 Pokhran-II tests. First observed in 1999, the day highlights the country’s achievements in science and technology. Meanwhile, a delegation of senior executives from the United States nuclear industry is visiting India from 18 to 21 May 2026 to discuss opportunities for cooperation in the civil nuclear sector after the implementation of the SHANTI Act.

India’s Nuclear Energy Programme

India’s nuclear power generation capacity stands at nearly 9 GW in 2026, with a long-term goal of reaching 100 GW by 2047. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, achieved first criticality on 6 April 2026, marking progress in the second stage of India’s nuclear power programme. The expansion of nuclear energy also supports India’s target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

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