How fast could have India have developed the nuclear bomb

[cj]

From what I have been able to find it seems like Jawaharlal Nehru had pretty mixed frels about wether to push for nukes or not, leading to a firm decision to start work on the smiling buda not starting until 1960. I wonder how fast indea would have gotten bomb then, faster then China maby if the destions had been made in 1954 insted of 1960?

[raunchel]

I honestly don't know but India faced some pretty severe issues with getting there, but they would have been a bit earlier. It took them seven years to have the program running, so if they would have started in 1954 it would at minimum have been seven years. That said, doing it earlier would have been harder so I would add a couple of years to that. So let's say twelve years for a first nuclear test in 1962. So they would have a decent chance at beating the Chinese to it. Of course, India working on such a project would also have prompted the Chinese to put more effort into their nuclear studies.

[michelvan]

The will to build a Nuke and have technical possibility to do it, are two things !

you need first way to make enriched Uran, then a reactors to "cook" Plutonium out this enriched Uran,
after that clean and refine the Plutonium form waste products and put in Bomb with right explosives so it work.

The US Manhattan Project took 4 years from Theoretical work to testing first Nuke and its use. in Massive economic and technological effort of its time
with 130,000 people in 19 sites working on that and cost $12 billion in Today value, mostly building factories needed for program.

France started in 1950 with research in nuclear energy, with Plutonium as byproduct, you never know wen it become handy
1957 after Suez crisis, France took their stockpile of Plutonium and in 1960 tested their first nuke (with allot technical Help of west Germany).

Israel so far is known, made join venture with France, first in 1950s on research in nuclear energy, later getting nuclear reactor from France 1957.
around 1966 Israel had operational nuke ?

Swiss wanted the Bomb and started secret program, building two nuclear reactors in 1968, planning bomb testing in around 1975, but the changes in Military doctrine and geopolitic, rising cost, let to cancellation.

Pakistan starte there program in 1972 with goal to test bomb in 1977, but that program failed in 1983, do missing material and technology (also play the unstable political situation a role)
in 1989 start new program and made it first test in 1998

North Korea on other hand needed 30 years from start to complete first test, do lack of money and material !

India began in 1956 with research in nuclear energy (with French and later Canada Help) and produce Plutonium from 1964 on.
in 1974 a single peaceful test of Atomic bomb was made by india
with Pakistan conflict in 1989 India restart there program and tested in 1998 five nukes.