India’s nuclear energy programme is increasingly emerging as a key pillar of the country’s efforts to strengthen energy security, expand clean power generation and advance technological self-reliance, with applications extending well beyond electricity generation to healthcare, agriculture, food preservation, critical minerals, semiconductors, scientific research and clean hydrogen.
Built around the principle of “safety first”, India’s nuclear programme combines stringent regulatory oversight, multiple layers of protection, continuous monitoring and comprehensive emergency preparedness. The government has said that initiatives such as the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat, indigenous technologies and the SHANTI Act, 2025 are aimed at expanding nuclear energy as a safe, sustainable and future-ready component of national development.
The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy (SHANTI) Act, 2025 came into effect on December 21, 2025, to overhaul the country’s civilian nuclear energy sector.
India’s nuclear journey dates back to 1969, when the Tarapur Atomic Power Station began operations. Today, the country operates 24 nuclear power reactors across seven sites, with a total installed capacity of 8.78 GW. Nine additional reactors are under construction, while preparations are underway for another 10 units.
The long-term ambition is substantially larger. Under the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat, India aims to achieve 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047. The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹20,000 crore for indigenous Small Modular Reactors, while the SHANTI Act, 2025 has strengthened the framework for the safe and secure expansion of the nuclear energy programme.
Nuclear power and India’s low-carbon transition
Nuclear power is positioned as an important source of reliable, low-carbon electricity as India seeks to meet its growing energy requirements while reducing emissions.
According to the government, nuclear power is India’s most carbon-efficient clean energy source per unit of installed capacity. During FY 2025-26, one GW of nuclear capacity avoided about 5.4 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions, compared with 2.7 million tonnes for hydropower, 1.6 million tonnes for wind power and 0.9 million tonnes for solar power.
Since the beginning of India’s nuclear power programme in 1969, nuclear generation has cumulatively avoided an estimated 851 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions. This is described as equivalent to the annual carbon sequestration of more than 38 billion mature trees.
The government sees nuclear and renewable energy as complementary rather than competing sources. Nuclear power can provide reliable 24×7 electricity while requiring substantially less land than solar power, supporting the stability of an increasingly diversified clean-energy system.
Nuclear technology reaches far beyond power generation
The expanding nuclear ecosystem is also supporting applications in sectors directly connected to public welfare and economic development.
Healthcare
Nuclear technologies are being used in early disease diagnosis, precision cancer treatment and medical research. Institutions under the Department of Atomic Energy, including Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI), are working on indigenous radiopharmaceuticals, advanced imaging technologies and innovative cancer therapies.
Access to cancer care is also being expanded. In 2025, the 150-bed Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Muzaffarpur was inaugurated.
During FY 2024-25, the Tata Memorial Centre registered 1.3 lakh patients and screened around five lakh women for oral, breast and cervical cancers. Indigenous radiation technologies also helped sterilise 1.53 crore medical devices, contributing to patient safety and reducing healthcare-associated infections.
Agriculture and food security
Atomic technology is also being applied to crop improvement. Radiation-induced mutagenesis combined with cross-breeding is being used to develop crop varieties with higher yields, larger seed size, improved quality characteristics, early maturity and greater tolerance to drought, heat, salinity and diseases.
BARC has developed 70 crop varieties, including TBM-9 banana and RTS-43 sorghum, which were released in 2025. These high-yielding and early-maturing varieties are being cultivated across the country.
BARC is working with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and agricultural universities to accelerate crop improvement and strengthen food security.
Radiation technology is also helping preserve agricultural and food products by extending shelf life, reducing post-harvest losses and enabling chemical-free preservation of commodities such as grains and spices. It can also help meet international phytosanitary requirements for exports.
The technology has helped extend the shelf life of mangoes, making sea-based exports more cost-effective, while preservation of onions and potatoes can reduce spoilage and provide economic benefits to farmers. Radiation processing of various food products has been approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
In 2025, the government signed 17 MoUs to expand food irradiation infrastructure. Six gamma radiation processing facilities were commissioned, taking the country’s operational facilities to 40.
Supporting critical minerals and rare earth security
Nuclear technology is also contributing to India’s efforts to strengthen its critical mineral and rare earth ecosystem.
Advanced nuclear analytical techniques are being used for the exploration, characterisation and processing of mineral resources, helping improve ore assessment, extraction and quality control.
India has also developed its first Certified Reference Material, Ferrocarbonatite (FC) – BARC B1401, for Rare Earth Elements. It is the first such material developed in India and the fourth globally.
The reference material provides a standard benchmark for geochemical analysis, supporting more reliable exploration, efficient extraction and process control in rare earth ore mining, while contributing to India’s critical mineral security.
Nuclear technology supporting the semiconductor ecosystem
India’s nuclear capabilities are also finding applications in the semiconductor and advanced electronics sector.
High-purity isotopes and speciality materials produced through nuclear technologies are important for semiconductor manufacturing and support precision fabrication, advanced electronics and strategic technologies.
The country has established its first electronics-grade Boron-11 enrichment facility, producing material with 99.8 per cent purity, at Talcher. The enriched product has successfully been converted into purified enriched boric acid for further processing.
The development is expected to strengthen the India Semiconductor Mission, reduce dependence on imports of critical electronic materials and contribute to technological self-reliance.
Nuclear process heat opens a clean hydrogen pathway
Nuclear energy is also being explored as a carbon-free pathway for hydrogen production. Nuclear power can provide both reliable electricity and high-temperature process heat, potentially reducing dependence on fossil fuels and emissions associated with conventional hydrogen production.
In 2026, India inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen production facility using nuclear process heat at Kalpakkam. The indigenous technology is intended to support clean energy, energy security, the country’s Net Zero ambitions and the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Safety remains at the centre of India’s nuclear programme
While nuclear energy offers significant benefits, the government has placed safety at the core of the country’s nuclear programme.
Indian nuclear power plants follow the globally accepted Defence in Depth philosophy, which provides multiple layers of protection against accidents. Safety begins at the design and construction stages through rigorous quality control and fail-safe engineering.
Nuclear facilities incorporate continuous monitoring, regular testing and redundant safety systems designed to detect and manage equipment failures or human errors. Multiple physical barriers are used to prevent the release of radioactive material into the environment.
These barriers include ceramic fuel pellets, sealed zirconium alloy fuel rods, robust pressure vessels or pressure tubes, and reinforced concrete containment structures. Independent backup systems provide emergency reactor shutdown, core cooling and reliable power supplies in unlikely emergency situations.
Plants are also designed to withstand external hazards including earthquakes, floods, cyclones and tsunamis.
India’s Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, or PHWRs, have two independent and diverse shutdown systems. If abnormal operating conditions are detected, these systems automatically shut down the reactor, while dedicated cooling systems continue to remove heat from the reactor core.
Radiation protection and continuous monitoring
Radiological protection during plant operations follows the As Low as Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle, aimed at minimising radiation exposure.
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board prescribes an average occupational dose limit of 20 millisieverts (mSv) per year over five years, with a cumulative limit of 100 mSv and a maximum of 30 mSv in any single year.
Every nuclear power plant has a dedicated Health Physics Unit that continuously monitors radiation levels, personnel exposure, plant systems and environmental releases. Engineering controls, protective equipment, ventilation systems and regular training further strengthen radiation safety.
For members of the public, India’s annual radiation dose limit is 1 mSv. The AERB conducts periodic regulatory inspections to verify compliance with radiation safety standards.
Radioactive waste management
The government has emphasised that radioactive waste management is an integral part of India’s nuclear safety framework.
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board oversees waste management activities, which are governed by the Atomic Energy (Safe Disposal of Radioactive Wastes) Rules, 1987 and the AERB Safety Code on Radioactive Waste Management.
Liquid radioactive waste is treated and diluted and can only be discharged after meeting prescribed safety standards. Solid waste is processed and disposed of in specially engineered on-site facilities, with disposal methods matched to the radioactivity level of the material.
AERB prescribes site-specific discharge limits and regularly verifies compliance. Environmental Survey Laboratories operated by BARC continuously monitor environmental safety, while waste handling facilities remain under round-the-clock surveillance.
India has also developed indigenous vitrification technology for high-level radioactive waste. BARC’s technology converts such waste into stable glass blocks for safe long-term management, placing India among the few countries possessing indigenous vitrification capabilities.
Preparedness for unlikely nuclear emergencies
India has established a multi-level nuclear emergency preparedness system covering national, state, district and plant levels.
Nuclear and radiological emergencies are incorporated into the National Disaster Management Plan and district disaster management plans. The Department of Atomic Energy leads technical preparedness and response through a dedicated Crisis Management Plan, while the AERB regulates nuclear facilities.
Every nuclear power plant maintains mandatory on-site and off-site emergency response plans approved by the AERB. Nuclear plants, district administrations and District Disaster Management Authorities conduct regular mock drills and emergency exercises.
Police personnel, emergency responders and other agencies receive specialised training, while radiation detection equipment has been deployed at key locations.
Medical preparedness is another component of the system. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Atomic Energy and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited train medical professionals and maintain Radiation Emergency Medical Networks for specialised care.
Nuclear power plants are located in low-population areas with dedicated safety zones, including a 16-kilometre Emergency Planning Zone to facilitate coordinated emergency response when required.
Environmental Survey Laboratories at each nuclear power plant continuously monitor air, water, soil, vegetation and food during normal operations and in the event of an unlikely emergency.
Addressing concerns through science and regulation
The government has sought to address common concerns surrounding nuclear energy by highlighting India’s safety systems and regulatory safeguards.
It says radiation from operating nuclear power plants remains within prescribed safety limits and that radioactive waste is managed through multiple protective barriers, continuous monitoring and strict regulatory oversight.
The government also notes that radiation occurs naturally in the environment, including from the sun, soil, air and food, and that nuclear materials are handled and transported under specialised safety procedures and protective equipment.
Nuclear material transported by road or rail is carried in specially designed and tested containers that comply with national and international safety standards.
The government also stresses that nuclear energy does not involve the burning of fossil fuels and therefore provides low-carbon electricity that can replace more carbon-intensive generation.
Post-Fukushima safety review
India’s nuclear safety framework was further strengthened following the 2011 Fukushima accident. Every Indian nuclear power plant underwent a comprehensive safety review after the incident.
According to the government, all recommended short-term and medium-term safety enhancements have been completed, while long-term upgrades continue across existing and future reactors.
Health surveys around uranium mining areas operated by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) in Jharkhand have found that health issues observed among villagers were similar to those generally found in rural areas with comparable socio-economic conditions. The government said there is no evidence linking local disease patterns to radiation exposure. UCIL, BARC and regulatory agencies continue health monitoring, environmental surveillance and community welfare programmes.
Nuclear energy and the road to Viksit Bharat
India’s nuclear programme is therefore evolving from a primarily electricity-focused initiative into a wider technological ecosystem supporting energy security, healthcare, agriculture, food preservation, critical minerals, semiconductors, hydrogen and scientific research.
With 24 operational reactors, 8.78 GW of installed capacity, nine reactors under construction and preparations for 10 additional units, India is laying the groundwork for a substantial expansion of nuclear power.
The government’s 100 GW nuclear capacity target by 2047, backed by indigenous technologies, Small Modular Reactor development and the SHANTI Act, is intended to position nuclear energy as a major component of the country’s long-term development strategy.
As India works towards Viksit Bharat 2047 and its Net Zero target by 2070, the government views nuclear energy as a means of combining reliable electricity, lower carbon emissions, technological innovation and strategic self-reliance. The emphasis on layered safety systems, regulatory oversight, waste management and emergency preparedness is intended to ensure that this expansion proceeds alongside strong protection for people, the environment and critical infrastructure.
