The tests achieved their main objective of giving India the capability to build fission and thermonuclear weapons with yields up to 200 kilotons.

The chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India described each of the explosions to be equivalent to several tests carried out over the years by various nations.

Efforts towards building a nuclear bomb, infrastructure, and research on related technologies have been undertaken by India since the end of Second World War.

The design work on the bomb proceeded under physicist Raja Ramanna, who continued the nuclear weapons technology research after Bhabha's death in 1966.

[6] During the Indo-Pakistani War, the US government sent a carrier battle group into the Bay of Bengal in an attempt to intimidate India, who were aided by the Soviet Union, who responded by sending a submarine armed with nuclear missiles.

[7] After India gained military and political initiative over Pakistan in the war, the work on building a nuclear device continued.

The hardware began to be built in early 1972 and the Prime Minister authorised the development of a nuclear test device in September 1972.

Though the nuclear programme did not receive much attention from incoming Prime Minister Morarji Desai at first, it gained impetus when Ramanna was appointed to the Ministry of Defence.

But the decision was reversed owing to pressure from the United States as it might end up in nuclear brinksmanship with Pakistan and potential foreign policy implications.

Work continued towards weaponizing the nuclear bomb under V. S. R. Arunachalam and the Indian missile programme was launched under A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

[15] Ramanna pushed forward with a uranium enrichment program and despite the sanctions, India imported heavy water required as a neutron moderator in the nuclear reactors, from countries like China, Norway and Soviet Union through a middleman.

In late 1985, a study group commissioned by the Prime Minister outlined a plan for the production of 70 to 100 nuclear warheads and a strict no first use policy.

Singh formed the government, which collapsed within two years and this period of instability caused a snag in the nuclear weapons programme.

[18] Though India had stock-piled material and components to be able to construct a dozen nuclear fission bombs, the deliverance mechanism was still under development.

With the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty under discussion and global pressure pushing India to sign, then Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao ordered preparations for further nuclear tests in 1995.

While water was being pumped out of the shafts constructed more than ten years earlier, American spy satellites picked up the signs.

[20] Soon after assuming power in March 1998, Vajpayee organized a discussion with Abdul Kalam and Chidambaram to conduct nuclear tests.

A select group was involved in the detonation process with all personnel required to wear uniforms to preserve the secrecy of the tests.

[22][20] Scientists and engineers of BARC, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER), and DRDO were involved in the development and assembly of the bombs.

Three laboratories of the DRDO were involved in designing, testing and producing components for the bombs, including the detonators, the implosion and high-voltage trigger systems.

The media praised the government for its decision and advocated the development of an operational nuclear arsenal for the country's armed forces.

[36] In keeping with its preferred approach to foreign policy in recent decades, and in compliance with the 1994 anti-proliferation law, the United States imposed economic sanctions on India.

[42] Few other nations also imposed sanctions on India, primarily in the form of suspension of foreign aid and government-to-government credit lines.

China stated that it was seriously concerned about the tests which are not favorable to the peace and stability in the region and called for the international community to pressurize India to cease the development of nuclear weapons.

[43] It further rejected claims of India's stated rationale of needing nuclear capabilities to counter a Chinese threat as unfounded.

[45] Pakistan issued a statement blaming India for instigating a nuclear arms race in the region with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stating that his country will take appropriate action.