 He chose the implosion method and initiated research at BARC in very close interaction with the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to achieve this.Chidambaram also assisted the Indian Army to construct a nuclear test site at long-constructed Indian Army base, Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan, Chidambaram was part of a team of scientists who participated in and supervised India's first nuclear test, codename Smiling Buddha, and was one of the scientists who were honoured by Indian Premier Indira Gandhi.Finally, in 1990, Chidambaram became Director of the BARC .