The Centre has outlined an ambitious roadmap to expand India’s nuclear power generation capacity to 100 GW by 2047, with a strong focus on indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), greater private sector participation and enhanced nuclear safety under the Nuclear Energy Mission (NEM).
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Nuclear Energy Mission, announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, aims to support the vision of Viksit Bharat while contributing to India’s target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
As part of the mission, the government plans to develop and operationalise at least five indigenous Small Modular Reactors by 2033.
The minister said the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is currently developing three indigenous reactor technologies: the 220 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), the 55 MW Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55) and a High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) of up to 5 MW thermal capacity for hydrogen production.
According to the government, both the BSMR-200 and SMR-55 have received in-principle approval for engineering and construction, while the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) has approved Tarapur in Maharashtra as the site for both projects. The proposal for administrative and financial sanction for the BSMR-200 has also been cleared by the AEC and the Empowered Technology Group.
The HTGCR, being developed as a nuclear heat source for hydrogen generation through thermochemical processes such as the copper-chlorine cycle, has also received in-principle approval. The proposed site for the reactor is BARC, Visakhapatnam, where siting consent has already been obtained, while the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued the Terms of Reference for environmental clearance.
The government said India’s existing nuclear power capacity of 8.78 GW is expected to increase to around 22 GW by 2031-32 as ongoing projects are completed. Beyond that, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) plans to establish another 32 GW of capacity through indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and Light Water Reactors (LWRs), taking the country’s total installed nuclear capacity to around 54 GW by 2047.
The remaining 46 GW is expected to come from projects developed by central and state public sector enterprises, state governments, private companies and joint ventures under different business models and reactor technologies.
The expansion has been enabled by the SHANTI Act, 2025, enacted by Parliament to support the Nuclear Energy Mission and open the sector to private participation. The legislation allows private entities to participate in nuclear power generation and research while encouraging indigenous technology development.
The Act also grants statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), strengthening its independence and regulatory powers. Under the new framework, the regulator will be able to formulate its own regulations, conduct independent safety oversight, take enforcement action and advise the Central Government, while ensuring that India’s expanding nuclear programme adheres to the highest safety standards.
Singh said BARC is actively collaborating with Indian industries through technology transfer, knowledge sharing and technical support to develop a domestic ecosystem for SMR manufacturing and related research, contributing to greater self-reliance in nuclear technology.
The government reiterated that safety remains the highest priority across all stages of nuclear power development, from site selection and reactor design to construction, commissioning and operation. Nuclear plants are designed with multiple layers of safety, incorporating redundancy, diversity and defence-in-depth principles to prevent the release of radioactivity.
It added that India’s nuclear facilities are subject to rigorous internal and independent regulatory oversight, with periodic safety reviews conducted by both NPCIL and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
The Centre also highlighted the country’s established framework for radioactive waste management. It said nuclear waste is handled, treated, stored and disposed of in accordance with the Atomic Energy (Safe Disposal of Radioactive Wastes) Rules, 1987 and AERB’s safety code on radioactive waste management. Waste is segregated based on activity levels, treated using scientific methods, stored in engineered containment systems and continuously monitored to ensure the protection of workers, the public and the environment.
The roadmap signals the government’s intent to significantly expand nuclear energy as a reliable source of clean electricity while promoting indigenous reactor technologies, private sector participation and stringent safety standards to meet India’s long-term energy security and climate commitments.
