India conducted its first successful nuclear test in 1974.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by multiple independent, reliable sources including Wikipedia, Arms Control Association, and Indian government/news references, all consistent on date and event (Smiling Buddha, 18 May 1974). [tier=unverified indep_score=0.375 clusters=1 claim_tier=everyday] [harvest 2026-09-15: +4 source(s) on new hosts; tier unverified->silver indep=0.81 clusters=5] [kind-backfill 2026-09-15: kind=empirical eligibility=high]
Sources
- List of states with nuclear weapons (wikipedia)
- https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-11/features/legacy-indias-nuclear-weapons-test (corroboration)
- https://www.atomicarchive.com/history/cold-war/page-17.html (corroboration)
- https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/india/pokharan-test.htm (corroboration)
- https://www.wagingpeace.org/indias-nuclear-testing/ (corroboration)
- https://www.globalzero.org/updates/smiling-buddha-ushered-india-into-the-nuclear-age/index.html (corroboration)