Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha conceived the Nuclear Program in India. Dr Bhabha established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for carrying out nuclear science research in 1945. To intensify the effort to exploit nuclear energy for the benefit of the nation, Dr Bhabha established the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) in January 1954 for multidisciplinary research program essential for the ambitious nuclear program of India. After the sad demise of Bhabha in 1966, AEET was renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

Dr. Bhabha established the BARC Training School to cater to the manpower needs of the expanding atomic energy research and development program. In Bhabha’s own words "When Nuclear Energy has been successfully applied for power production in, say a couple of decades from now, India will not have to look abroad for its experts but will find them ready at hand". Dr Bhabha emphasized on self-reliance in all the fields of nuclear science and engineering.

BARC is the mother of R&D institutions such as Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre(VECC), etc., which carry out pioneering.

BARC has active groups for Research and Development in Reactor Technologies, Fuel reprocessing and waste management, Isotope Applications, Radiation Technologies and their application to health, agriculture and environment, Accelerator and Laser Technology, Electronics, instrumentation and reactor control and Materials Science. Strong emphasis on basic and applied research in a number of core disciplines of Science has made synergy between basic research and technology development possible.

BARC Visakhapatnam is operational since 2009. It is an extension of BARC, Mumbai and is developing infrastructure to boost nuclear research. It is situation in Atchuthapuram mandal of Anakapalle (earlier Visakhapatnam).