PRAGYA is India’s first privately developed compact, low-aspect-ratio tokamak. Designed by Pranos Fusion, it features a major radius of 0.40 metres, a toroidal field of 0.1 Tesla, and a target plasma current of 20–25 kiloamperes.

It has been conceived as a physical testbed for the JENGA plasma control software, marking a significant step in private-sector fusion research in the country.

The headline may sound like the title of a Robert Ludlum novel, but the story behind it is equally compelling. Tokamaks are doughnut-shaped devices that form the heart of nuclear fusion reactors. Their ring-shaped vacuum chambers magnetically confine plasma, a hot gas of free electrons and positively charged ions.

The external magnetic field balances the pressure of these particles, forcing them to spiral inside the ring. In this confined state, collisions occur, leading to fusion and the release of energy.

Tokamaks are usually very large. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France, for instance, has a radius of 6.2 metres. In contrast, PRAGYA is a miniature device with a radius of just 40 centimetres.

This makes it not only India’s first privately developed tokamak but also the smallest in the country. India already has three other tokamaks — ADITYA-1, ADITYA-U, and SST-1 — all under the Institute of Plasma Research in Gandhinagar. SST-1 is notable for its use of superconducting magnets.

Pranos Fusion, based in Bangalore, raised $4,17,000 in May 2025 from angel investor Rahul Seth. The funding has been channelled into the development of PRAGYA, which is intended primarily as a test bed. While it is not a breakthrough in fusion physics, it represents a milestone because it enables multiple experiments and training exercises that could eventually lead to breakthroughs.

A paper jointly authored by scientists from Pranos Fusion, the JN Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, and the Indian Institute of Science describes PRAGYA as a compact Tokamak designed as a precursor to a larger device.

Its objectives include scientific exploration and the development of critical human resources. The paper highlights investigations into magnetohydrodynamic stability of plasma, superconducting magnets, and auxiliary heating as among the tests possible on PRAGYA.

Pranos Fusion is one of three private Indian companies working on fusion energy, a field traditionally dominated by large-scale, high-investment projects. The other two are Hylenr, based in Hyderabad, and Anubal Fusion, also in Bangalore.

All three have recently raised funds, signalling investor confidence in the potential of fusion energy. This growing interest reflects a global trend where private firms are increasingly entering the fusion sector, complementing government-led initiatives.

The development of PRAGYA demonstrates that even small-scale devices can play a crucial role in advancing fusion research. By serving as a training and experimental platform, it contributes to building expertise and infrastructure that may eventually support larger, more ambitious fusion projects in India. 

It also underscores the importance of private innovation in a domain long considered the preserve of state institutions.

Agencies