India's Fast Breeder Reactor Hits Criticality
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- The PFBR at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu reached criticality on Monday, the stage where a nuclear chain reaction can sustain itself.
- India will become only the second country after Russia to operate a commercial fast breeder reactor once the PFBR is fully operational.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the achievement a "proud moment for India" and a "defining step" for the nuclear programme.
- Modi said the reactor can produce more fuel than it consumes, showcasing India's scientific and engineering capability.
- The reactor is positioned as a decisive step toward harnessing India's vast thorium reserves in the third stage of its nuclear programme.
Why it matters: India gains a home‑grown source of nuclear fuel that produces more fissile material than it consumes, reducing reliance on imported uranium and moving the country toward its long‑term thorium strategy; the milestone also places India alongside Russia as the only nation with a commercial fast‑breeder reactor, reshaping global nuclear fuel dynamics.
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