Becoming a Nuclear Power: The Making of India.

Introduction

Becoming a nuclear power has been a journey for India-the story of strategic foresight, scientific innovation, and geopolitical maneuvering. Right from its early post-independence years, India's nuclear program has been shaped by both the imperatives of domestic necessity and international pressure to share a robust nuclear space with others.

Early Beginnings
India's nuclear program traces its roots back to the early 1940s when Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, known as the father of the nuclear program of India, discovered nuclear potential. In 1948, Atomic Energy Commission was formed with Bhabha at the helm, thus marking the official formal entry into India's nuclear world. The main aim of this activity was to yield peaceful utilization of nuclear energy in the production of electricity and medicine among other things.

Strategic Turning Point and Technological Advancement
It would not be wrong to state that the geopolitical climate of the 1960s and 1970s is what dictated India's nuclear aspirations. The 1962 war against China and its aftermath, when China and Pakistan threatened to consume India from both sides, indicated that a strong defense system was needed. The 1964 Chinese nuclear test further galvanized Indian insistence on developing nuclear arms.