No End
Wars often end long before the shooting stops. They end when one side concludes it cannot win, when both sides accept the limits of military power, or when external actors impose a framework that neither can ignore.
India will be the second country in the world after Russia to operate a commercial-level fast breeder reactor, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday.
Addressing a workshop of MPs and MLAs, on “Small Modular Reactors” the Minister elaborated that India has achieved a significant milestone by developing an indigenously designed 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, which achieved first criticality on April 6, 2026.
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Developed by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and built by BHAVINI, this reactor marks the start of the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power program, using uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel to produce more fuel than it consumes.
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With this achievement, India moves toward leveraging its vast thorium reserves in the third stage of its nuclear strategy. Once fully operational, India will be the second country in the world after Russia operating a commercial-level fast breeder reactor, he added.
Jitendra Singh further explained that the significance of this achievement lies in the fact that with this, India moves toward leveraging its vast thorium reserves in the third stage of its nuclear strategy. Once fully operational, India will be the second country in the world after Russia operating a commercial-level fast breeder reactor.
Currently, Russia is the only country operating commercial fast breeder reactors (FBRs), with India in the advanced stage of commissioning its own. While several nations have historically developed or operated experimental fast reactors—specifically the USA, UK, France, Japan, Germany, and China—most of these programs are currently shut down.
Referring to recent developments in India’s three-stage nuclear programme, Jitendra Singh said the successful establishment of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor marks a significant step towards the second stage of the programme, enabling more efficient utilisation of nuclear fuel and paving the way for future use of India’s vast thorium reserves.
The Minister emphasised that only a limited number of countries have made advancements in Fast Breeder Reactor technology, placing India in a distinguished global position in advanced nuclear capability.
He further stated that nuclear energy will play a crucial role in India’s clean energy transition and long-term sustainability goals, particularly in achieving the target of 100 GW nuclear power capacity
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