India's Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) has failed to "go fully functional" in October 2017, despite the assurance given in Parliament in February 2017 on behalf of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

The reactor is now expected to be commissioned by mid-2018. According to BHAVINI, the DAE agency building the PFBR, "Sodium coolant has been poured into the secondary system of the reactor. It would take another six months before fuel loading."

In addition to the eight year delay in bringing the PFBR into operation, the overall plans for breeder reactors have been massively delayed. The original DAE plan called for starting construction of two more breeder reactors by 2017 - these are now are expected to start generating power by 2029 and 2031. This puts in doubt DAE plans for construction starts on an additional four fast breeder reactors between 2017 and 2027.