He was the founder-director of National Institute of Advanced Studies and served as the chairman of board of governors at IIT Bombay.

[2] In July 1958, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru authorized "Project Phoenix" to produce weapon grade Plutonium.

After Bhabha's unexpected death in 1966, the design work on the atomic bomb proceeded under Ramanna, who took charge of the nuclear weapons technology research.

[8] When Indira Gandhi became the prime minister in 1966, the project for the design and manufacturing of the nuclear device proceeded secretly.

[11][12] In July 1970, physicist B. D. Nagchaudhuri was appointed as the scientific adviser to the Defense Minister and as Director of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

In 1971, Homi Sethna succeeded Vikram Sarabhai as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, completing the leadership group.

[11] After India gained military and political initiative over Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the work on building a nuclear device continued with Ramanna being appointed as the chairman of BARC in 1972.

[13][3] The hardware for the bomb began to be built in early 1972 and the Prime Minister authorized the development of a nuclear test device in September 1972.

[2] Post the test, Indira Gandhi authorized preliminary work to commence on the development of a fusion boosted fission bomb.

[5] With the return of Indira Gandhi in 1980, the nuclear program gained momentum and Ramanna was re-appointed as the director of BARC.

Ramanna pushed forward with a Uranium enrichment program and Dhruva, a new reactor with a capability to produce larger quantities of weapon grade material, was constructed.

[3] In the same year, Ramanna represented the South Asian and Middle Eastern bloc at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

[2] In late 1985, a study group commissioned by the Prime Minister of India consisting of Ramanna and few others, outlined a plan for the production of 70 to 100 nuclear warheads and a strict no first use policy.

[1][25][26] Then President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam said, "The passing away of Dr. Ramanna is a deep personal loss for me as he was a mentor, guide and teacher to me over the years.

A towering and multi-faceted personality Dr. Ramanna was always keen to contribute to national development with a sense of mission in any capacity, which was evident in his role as a Union Minister and a Member of Parliament.