From Homi Bhabha to APJ Abdul Kalam: The 'Rocket Boys' who helped make India become a nuclear power

Time of India

6 hours ago

Image: https://x.com/IndiaHistorypic
If you've ever watched a launch from Sriharikota with goosebumps running down your spine, or simply felt proud when India stood its ground in a high-stakes global summit, you've already felt the legacy of our nuclear pioneers—even if you didn't know their names.
They didn't wear capes. They didn't chase fame. They quietly rewired the soul of a young, bruised, but hopeful nation.
When the world doubted India's scientific spine—when phrases like 'third world' echoed in smug policy rooms—these men were busy building reactors out of resolve, laboratories out of sheer willpower, and global respect with equations no one else dared to solve.
This isn't a story of warheads and tests.
This is the story of scientists who turned atoms into a national language of self-reliance and pride. Of engineers who soldered together the dreams of millions. Of thinkers who believed that India's future should never be outsourced—not its food, not its defence, and certainly not its dignity.
This is our tribute to the men who made India a nuclear state—not through noise, but through quiet, blistering brilliance.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn
IC Markets
Đăng ký
Undo
Homi Jehangir Bhabha
Imagine a young Bhabha strolling the Cambridge gardens, chasing cosmic rays and exchanging ideas with Paul Dirac and Niels Bohr—and then turning around and deciding, 'Let's build something in India.' That's the kind of man he was. Born in 1909 in Bombay, he defied family expectations, swapped engineering for physics, and earned his PhD in 1935.
World War II grounded him back home. He took up a reader post under C.V. Raman at IISc Bengaluru in 1940—and then wrote a letter that changed history.
In it, he pitched Nehru on India's nuclear future. Fast forward: he founded TIFR in 1945, became the first chairman of the AEC in 1948, and by 1956, he had APSARA—Asia's first nuclear reactor—up and humming.
Bhabha also loved music, painting, and deep conversations—a true Renaissance man. He passed away in a tragic plane crash in 1966, but left behind BARC, TIFR, and the pillars of India's nuclear program.
Picture it: August 20, 1956.
APSARA reaches criticality at Trombay in just 15 months—a feat driven by Bhabha's vision and Indian engineering muscle. Named by Nehru after a mythical water-nymph, APSARA wasn't just a reactor—it was the first note in India's nuclear symphony.
Apsara was more than tech—it was a promise.
Homi N. Sethna
People often think reactors and bombs just pop up. But behind the scenes, men like Homi N. Sethna were in trenches, building plutonium plants, uranium mills, and thorium extraction systems.
When 'Smiling Buddha' went off in 1974, Sethna's decades of groundwork paid off. As AEC chair, he held firm to the 'peaceful nuclear explosion' line—and helped shift India's atomic capabilities toward a bolder future.
Raja Ramanna
Born in 1925, Ramanna grew up on music and physics. He told India Today how his mother introduced him to piano, Bach, and a love for patterns—something that undoubtedly influenced his scientific temperament.
In 1974, he led the team that pulled off Pokhran-I—a defining moment dubbed "India's first smile of nuclear capability." Under his steady hand, Smiling Buddha became both legend and strategy. A scientist with both soul and strategy, he continued shaping India's defence science for decades.
Rajagopala Chidambaram
Chidambaram wasn't in the limelight, but he was the quiet force behind both Smiling Buddha (1974) and Pokhran-II (1998). Serving as Principal Scientific Adviser, BARC head, and AEC chair, he bridged science and policy, securing India's nuclear doctrine and global voice.
Though he passed away early this January, his legacy endures: two nuclear tests, scientific respect, and national security forged by a brilliant mind.
P. K. Iyengar
Dr. P. K. Iyengar played a vital role in India's first nuclear test. As one of the chief scientists behind Pokhran-I in 1974, he was responsible for developing the plutonium core for the device. Iyengar went on to become the Director of BARC and later the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
A bold voice for self-reliance in nuclear technology, he pushed for indigenous heavy water production and fast breeder reactor development.
M. R. Srinivasan
M. R. Srinivasan was a master of making nuclear energy work for India's power grid. He led the development of India's pressurised heavy water reactors and played a key role in shaping the Department of Atomic Energy's policy. As former AEC chairman, his contributions ensured nuclear power moved from dream to dependable supply.
He passed away in 2024, leaving behind a legacy that lights homes and cities every single day.
V. S. Arunachalam
As Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister during the 1980s and early '90s, Dr. V. S. Arunachalam worked on classified nuclear and missile programmes. His strength lay in bridging science, industry, and defence, making him one of the few to influence both military applications and nuclear strategy from within government corridors.
K. Santhanam
K. Santhanam was one of the key DRDO scientists behind Pokhran-II in 1998. He was a vocal advocate of India's nuclear capabilities and stirred debate when he publicly questioned the yield of the 1998 thermonuclear device—highlighting the importance of scientific transparency. His commitment to rigorous assessment made India's nuclear programme stronger and more introspective.
K. Subrahmanyam
K. Subrahmanyam wasn't a scientist, but his role in India's nuclear evolution was no less critical.
As a strategic thinker and head of India's National Security Advisory Board, he was the ideological architect of India's nuclear doctrine—especially the 'No First Use' policy. He fiercely defended India's nuclear autonomy at global forums and mentored generations of security analysts.
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam played a pivotal role in India's nuclear program as the chief scientific advisor and director of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
He was a key figure in the successful Pokhran-II nuclear tests conducted in 1998, which marked India's emergence as a nuclear power. Kalam coordinated efforts between DRDO, BARC, and the armed forces, ensuring technical excellence and national security.
His leadership, strategic vision, and deep understanding of aerospace and missile technologies earned him the title 'Missile Man of India' and cemented his legacy as an architect of India's defense and nuclear self-reliance.
Why their stories matter today
Because they teach us that ambition paired with responsibility, science with soul, and national pride with global empathy can change everything.
These weren't men in marble statues or names meant only for textbooks. They were real, flesh-and-blood human beings—curious, flawed, brilliant, and deeply committed. They joked in lab corridors, debated at chai stalls, painted canvases after work, and played classical music when no one was watching.
Some were stubborn. Some were gentle. Some had egos that could fill a room. Others barely spoke above a whisper. But they all carried a fire inside—the belief that India, even in its infancy as a free nation, could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global giants.
They didn't build nuclear reactors just to flex power—they built institutions, ideas, and confidence. Men like Homi Bhabha didn't just sketch out atomic blueprints, they mentored generations of scientists and convinced leaders to invest in what the world thought was impossible for a newly independent country.
Vikram Sarabhai wasn't just about rockets and physics—he championed peace, art, and education. These were dreamers who built real things.
They created a space where science wasn't cold—it had a beating heart and a moral compass.
They remind us that greatness doesn't come from brute strength, but from discipline, vision, and an unshakable sense of purpose. They showed that a small, war-torn, economically struggling country could walk the tightrope of geopolitics with dignity—and even build a nuclear program not just for defense, but for energy, education, and innovation.
Their legacy? It's not just bombs or reactors. It's the confidence that if you dare to dream—and work relentlessly with both mind and heart—you can rewrite your country's destiny. They may not be trending, but their impact is timeless.
The legacy lives on
Walk into any nuclear reactor in Kakrapar, Tarapur, or Kudankulam, and you'll feel their presence. Tune into India's space and medicine achievements—and you'll hear their echoes. Every isotope used for cancer therapy, every megawatt generated, every strategic nuclear talk—they laid the bricks.
Our nuclear legacy isn't just tech or treaties—it's the heartbeat of intent. It's the rhythm of visionaries who believed in India's place in the world. They taught a generation that science is love made visible: love of challenge, love of country, love of progress.
So here's to Bhabha, Sethna, Ramanna, Chidambaram, Iyengar, Srinivasan, Arunachalam, Santhanam, and Subrahmanyam—our architects of the atomic dream. They didn't just play with atoms. They sparked hope. They fueled pride. And they built a future that pulses with possibility.