PM Modi Hails Nuclear Milestone, Pushes for Census 2027 in Mann Ki Baat

Criticality marks the start of a controlled fission chain reaction in the reactor core. Though it will take some more time for commercial operation to produce electricity, it is a step towards successfully operationalising the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear programme.

He said the reactor has been built using indigenous technology and described breeder reactors as systems that can generate energy while also producing new fuel.

This comes in the backdrop of the SHANTI Bill, 2025 — Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India — passed by Parliament in December 2025. The bill marks an overhaul of India’s nuclear energy laws. It replaces older laws from 1962 and 2010 and opens up nuclear power to private and foreign participation.