India conducted its first nuclear test under Gandhi's leadership.
Under Indira Gandhi's leadership, India conducted its first successful nuclear test on May 18, 1974, codenamed "Smiling Buddha" at the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. This significant achievement made India the first country outside the United Nations' Permanent Security Council to develop a nuclear capability, marking a pivotal point in India's defense and strategic planning. The test underscored India's technological prowess and ambition of strategic autonomy, projecting Gandhi as a leader willing to assert India's influence in global geopolitics and simultaneously fulfilling domestic aspirations of scientific advancement and security assurance.