The Government on Wednesday informed Parliament that India and Russia have held discussions on expanding civil nuclear cooperation, including potential collaboration on small modular reactors (SMRs) and localisation of nuclear equipment manufacturing in India. The talks were held between the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Russia’s state-owned Rosatom as part of ongoing bilateral engagement in the nuclear sector.
According to details placed before the House, the discussions covered cooperation on both large and small-scale nuclear power projects, as well as broader collaboration across the nuclear fuel cycle. A key area explored was the possibility of deploying Russian-designed SMRs in India, signalling a new dimension in the long-standing partnership between the two countries.
The update comes at a time when the Union Budget 2025–26 has allocated ₹20,000 crore for the Nuclear Energy Mission, with a target to develop and deploy five indigenous SMRs by 2033. The government said that design and development work on three reactor types is already underway at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). These include the 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), the 55 MWe SMR-55, and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor of up to 5 MWth intended for hydrogen production.
The lead units of these reactors are proposed to be constructed at DAE sites for technology demonstration. The demonstration units are expected to be built within 60 to 72 months after project sanction is granted.
In parallel, work is progressing on Bharat Small Reactors (BSR) meant for captive industrial use. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on December 31, 2024, under a business model approved by the Union government. A pre-proposal meeting with industry stakeholders was held in February 2025, and clarifications to all queries have been uploaded to the NPCIL website.
Citing industry requests, the government has extended the deadline for RFP submissions to March 31, 2026.
The government also informed Parliament that the draft Atomic Energy Bill 2025 is in the final stages of inter-ministerial consultation. Comments from various Ministries are being incorporated, alongside legal vetting by the Ministry of Law and Justice. Policy directives relating to specific provisions are also being added before the draft is placed for approval.