India is moving towards a transformational phase in its nuclear energy programme by creating an enabling legal framework to allow private sector participation in the traditionally state-controlled domain.

Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty, speaking at the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, underlined that the government has formally launched the Nuclear Energy Mission with the ambitious target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, aligning with the nation’s long-term clean energy roadmap. 

At present, India operates 24 nuclear power reactors with a cumulative installed capacity of 8,190 MWe, with ongoing projects designed to take this figure up to 22 GW by 2032.

To reach the 2047 goal, India is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy that combines policy reforms, public-private partnerships, infrastructure investment, and an accelerated focus on indigenous technology development.

Mohanty highlighted that the government has earmarked over USD 2 billion for advanced research and development on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with plans to deploy at least five indigenously developed SMRs by 2033.

These efforts include the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s projects on a 200 MWe light-water Bharat SMR, a 55 MWe compact SMR, and a High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR), which will be integrated with thermochemical plants for clean hydrogen production—signalling diversification of nuclear applications beyond electricity generation.

Performance indicators from existing operations reflect improved efficiency, as the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) achieved a Plant Load Factor (PLF) of 87% in 2024-25, with record-breaking electricity generation surpassing 50 billion units in a single financial year for the first time in its history.

Complementary strides in advanced reactor programs were also noted, with the Fast Breeder Test Reactor at IGCAR completing 34 irradiation campaigns at full design power of 40 MWt, and the successful operation of the Demonstration Facility for Recycling of Fast Reactor Spent Fuel, reinforcing India’s closed fuel-cycle strategy.

The policy shift to legally empower private sector involvement represents one of the most significant structural reforms in India’s nuclear sector, which has traditionally been under state monopoly owing to safety, security, and liability concerns.

Mohanty emphasised that this inclusion of private partners is meant to accelerate capacity growth while maintaining strict adherence to international safeguards and domestic regulatory oversight. He underscored India’s continuing commitment to nuclear safety and security, declaring it a core responsibility of all member states, and reaffirmed India’s support to the IAEA in strengthening a robust and sustainable global nuclear safety regime.

Agencies