Pranos Fusion: India's First Private Fusion Reactor PRANIK and PRAGYA Tokamak

Pranos Fusion: India's First Private Fusion Reactor PRANIK and PRAGYA Tokamak

#GS-3 #Science & Technology #Energy #Pranos Fusion #PRANIK Reactor #PRAGYA Tokamak

Key takeaways

  • Bengaluru-based Pranos Fusion, founded in 2024, is developing India's first private fusion reactor named PRANIK.
  • The startup plans to finalize the design of PRANIK by 2027 following its work on the PRAGYA prototype testbed.
  • The PRANIK reactor will heat deuterium-tritium plasma to over 100 million degrees Celsius to create net-positive energy.
  • The system uses MAGGA high-temperature superconducting magnets capable of producing a 20 Tesla magnetic field strength.

Why in News

  • Bengaluru-based startup Pranos Fusion announced its plan to finalize the design of PRANIK by 2027.
  • PRANIK will be India's first privately developed fusion reactor.
  • This announcement follows the development of PRAGYA, which is a compact tokamak designed for plasma confinement research.

About Pranos Fusion

  • Pranos Fusion is India's first private nuclear fusion energy company.
  • The company focuses on developing compact fusion systems using advanced plasma physics, high-temperature superconducting magnets, and proprietary software.
  • The startup was founded in 2024 and has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
  • Shaurya Kaushal serves as the Chief Executive Officer, while Roshan George serves as the Chief Operating Officer.
  • The company aims to build a native commercial fusion energy setup in India.
  • It wants to commercialize low-cost fusion reactors to generate reliable, zero-carbon electricity without creating long-lived high-level radioactive waste or risking nuclear meltdowns.

Key Technology Features and Platforms

  • PRAGYA serves as a compact research tokamak testbed to test stable plasma control, magnetic shaping, and high-heat materials.
  • PRANIK is the flagship commercial reactor design, with its blueprint set for completion by 2027.
  • The PRANIK reactor aims to heat deuterium-tritium plasma to over 100 million degrees Celsius to produce net-positive fusion energy.
  • The company uses MAGGA high-temperature superconducting magnet coils that can produce magnetic fields of around 20 Tesla.
  • These strong magnets allow the reactor core to remain much smaller and cheaper than traditional large public projects.
  • The startup developed JENGA, an in-house digital twin and simulation software stack to model plasma behavior and magnetic containment before actual testing.
  • The technology offers safe operation by using hydrogen isotopes instead of enriched uranium, eliminating weapons proliferation risks and reactor meltdown hazards.

Significance

  • This project encourages private sector entry into India's nuclear fusion research, boosting local technology skills and deeptech innovation.
  • Nuclear fusion can provide continuous, low-carbon electricity that complements renewable energy and strengthens India's long-term energy security.