<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Test chronology </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> ← Pokhran - I (Operation Smiling Buddha) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Pokhran - II tests were a series of five nuclear bomb test explosions conducted by India at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in May 1998 . It was the second instance of nuclear testing conducted by India; the first test, code - named Smiling Buddha, was conducted in May 1974 . </P> <P> Pokhran - II consisted of five detonations, the first of which was a fusion bomb while the remaining four were fission bombs . The tests were initiated on 11 May 1998, under the assigned code name Operation Shakti, with the detonation of one fusion and two fission bombs . On 13 May 1998, two additional fission devices were detonated, and the Indian government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee shortly convened a press conference to declare India a full - fledged nuclear state . The tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states, including Japan and the United States . </P>

When did india conduct its first nuclear test