Skip to content

Indian Nuclear History

 Documents on the history of Indian nuclear development, focusing on assistance from and intervention by the Soviet Union and the United States. See also Nuclear Proliferation, and the related collections in the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project. (Image: Agni-V Missile passes through the Rajpath during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade-2013, in New Delhi on January 23, 2013. Ministry of Defence, Government of India under the ID 44846)

Popular Documents

August 2, 1963

Letter, Homi Bhabhi to Jawaharlal Nehru

Homi Bhabha writes to Prime Minister Nehru to convey that the Chinese nuclear test will be of no military significance and Chinese possession of a few bombs will not make any difference to the military situation. In order to counter the Chinese bomb’s psychological-political impact, Dr. Bhabha argues that India needs to be in a position to produce the bomb within few months.

November 9, 1968

Speech by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

Transcript of a speech delivered by Prime Minister Indra Gandhi at the dedication of the Homi Bhabha Auditorium detailing her person experiences with Homi Bhabha and expressing her belief in the need for continued scientific investment for India.

November 1998

Report, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Z Division, 'Challenges of Advanced Nuclear Weapon Development in India'

This heavily-redacted study is one of the few Z Division (International Assessments Program) documents that have been released. An unredacted portion (pp. 25-26) reports on the statements, labeled “inconsistent” by the author(s), of Indian nuclear scientists after the May 1998 Indian nuclear tests with regard to specific details of the devices tested.

October 24, 1964

Bhabha Speech on Nuclear Disarmament United Nation's Day

A speech delivered by Dr. Bhabha for United Nation’s Day on the subject of nuclear disarmament and general disarmament.

May 16, 1956

Bhabha and Jawaharlal Nehru Correspondence on Indian Nuclear History

A series of letters between Dr. Bhabha and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru covering a wide range of subjects, including the appropriate venues to voice opinions, the status of the Colaba site, meeting with the Pakistan Association for the Advancement of Science, and issues with coordination between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Education on scientific research and education. Also includes a copy of a letter from The Tokyo Shimbun requesting Dr. Bhabha’s presence at a forum discussing the justifiability of American hydrogen bomb tests in the Pacific.