Reliance Industries has proposed a major nuclear power project in West Bengal that could attract investment of around ₹2 lakh crore over the next six to seven years, potentially making it one of the state's largest industrial investments in recent decades, The Hindu Business Line reported.

The proposal was discussed during meetings between senior Reliance executives, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal.

The proposed nuclear facility is being considered alongside several other investments, including premium hotels across the state, an advanced data centre and a coal gasification venture. The project could be initiated also on the abandoned ECL coalfields lying in the western parts of the state.

According to government sources, Reliance has expressed a preference for establishing the nuclear plant at Haripur in East Midnapore, a site that was once earmarked for a major Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) project but was abandoned around 15 years ago following sustained public opposition.

The earlier NPCIL proposal involved Russian technical collaboration and was intended to develop a large nuclear power facility. Although the project received final approval in 2009, it faced strong resistance from fishermen, farmers and local residents who feared adverse consequences for livelihoods and the environment. The Trinamool government subsequently cancelled the project in August 2011.

Officials indicated that the nuclear proposal emerged as the most significant of Reliance's investment plans because of its massive economic scale and long-term impact on industrial development within the state.

A key advantage of the Haripur location is the existence of a roughly 2,000-acre site that had already undergone extensive technical assessment under the previous NPCIL initiative. Seismic, geotechnical, hydrological, oceanographic, meteorological, demographic and environmental studies were completed before the original project was shelved.

Because much of the groundwork had already been undertaken, obtaining approvals for a new project on the site could prove easier than developing an entirely new nuclear location.

However, the state government is also examining Nayachar near Haldia as an alternative site in view of the protests that surrounded the Haripur proposal between 2006 and 2011.

Despite this, Reliance is understood to favour Haripur. State officials have signalled flexibility regarding location, reflecting their desire to secure what could become one of the largest private-sector investments in West Bengal.

The proposal also carries political significance. If the project proceeds at Haripur, it would represent a remarkable reversal for Suvendu Adhikari, who opposed the original nuclear project as the Trinamool MP from Tamluk in 2009 but is now overseeing discussions on a fresh proposal as Chief Minister.

The original project had been advanced by the Union government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the request of then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Suvendu Adhikari and his father, Sisir Adhikari, had been among its prominent critics at the time.

Beyond nuclear energy, Reliance has outlined plans to expand its hospitality footprint across West Bengal through high-end hotels in Kolkata, the Darjeeling Hills and the Sundarbans. The developments are expected to strengthen tourism infrastructure and support growth in premium and eco-tourism segments.

The company has also reaffirmed its commitment to a large-scale data centre project in New Town. Sources indicated that development work on 15 acres of the allotted 40-acre site is expected to begin rapidly, with the entire project targeted for completion by June next year.

Officials described the facility as a cutting-edge, AI-enabled data centre comparable to the advanced digital infrastructure being developed by the group in Jamnagar.

Reliance has additionally shown interest in coal gasification, a technology that converts otherwise difficult-to-mine underground coal reserves into usable gases through controlled chemical processes.

The resulting gases, including methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, can be used in the production of fuels, fertilisers and industrial chemicals.

State officials believe significant opportunities exist in the sector, particularly in the Deocha-Pachami region, where coal gasification has long been viewed as a potential route to unlocking deeper coal resources while supporting downstream industries.

The project could also be initiated on abandoned Eastern Coalfields Limited coalfields located in the western parts of West Bengal, where dormant reserves may offer additional opportunities for future coal gasification development.

More broadly, the proposal emerges at a time when India is accelerating nuclear energy development to support rising electricity demand, industrial expansion and long-term decarbonisation goals. The Haripur site itself was originally linked to plans for multiple Russian-designed reactors and remains one of the most extensively studied nuclear locations in eastern India, potentially enhancing its attractiveness for any future revival.

Agencies