Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said India is poised to become the second country in the world, after Russia, to operate a commercial-level fast breeder reactor (FBR).
Addressing a workshop for MPs and MLAs on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), the minister highlighted that India has achieved a major milestone with the development of a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, which attained first criticality on April 6, 2026.
The reactor has been developed by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research and built by BHAVINI. It marks the beginning of the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme and uses uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel to generate more fuel than it consumes.
Jitendra Singh said the development positions India to effectively utilise its vast thorium reserves in the third stage of the programme, placing the country among a select group of nations with advanced nuclear capabilities.
He noted that while several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany, and China, have experimented with fast reactor technology, most such programmes have been discontinued, leaving Russia as the only country currently operating commercial FBRs.
The minister emphasised that nuclear energy will play a crucial role in India’s clean energy transition and its goal of achieving 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047. He added that emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing will increasingly depend on reliable and continuous clean energy sources.
Highlighting future plans, Singh said that under the government’s “Nuclear Mission” with an allocation of ₹20,000 crore, five Small Modular Reactors are planned to be operational by 2033. He also stressed the role of policy initiatives and private sector participation in scaling up nuclear energy capacity.
Reiterating the government’s vision, the minister said a balanced energy mix combining nuclear and renewable sources will be essential for achieving India’s net-zero emissions target by 2070.
