From Imports to Innovation: India’s 2025 Vision for Energy Security

On 15 August 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, laid out a comprehensive vision for strengthening India’s energy security and achieving long-term self-reliance. Framing energy independence as central to economic growth and strategic resilience, the Prime Minister highlighted the country’s heavy reliance on petroleum and natural gas imports, which currently make up nearly 22% of the total import bill. He underscored the need to channel the “lakhs of crores” spent on these imports into rural infrastructure, agriculture, and youth development, signalling a decisive policy shift toward domestic capacity-building and sustainable energy transitions.

As part of a broader strategy to secure India’s energy future, the government unveiled the National Deepwater Exploration Mission, known as “Samudra Manthan”. Focused on the Krishna-Godavari, Mahanadi, and Andaman basins, the initiative seeks to harness offshore hydrocarbon reserves and progressively lower the country’s 86% reliance on crude oil imports, while enhancing strategic resilience in energy supply chains.

While reducing fossil fuel dependence remains a key priority, India’s latest energy roadmap places even greater emphasis on expanding nuclear and renewable capacity. By 2025, the country achieved its target of sourcing 50% of electricity from clean energy five years ahead of schedule, driven by a thirtyfold increase in solar capacity over the past eleven years and sustained investments in hydroelectric infrastructure and green hydrogen. These advances highlight India’s ability to surpass its climate goals and lay a strong foundation for low-carbon economic growth.

Central to the future energy mix is nuclear power, identified as a backbone for energy security. In 2025, India operated 24 commercial reactors with a combined capacity of 8,780 MW, excluding the 100 MW RAPS-1 unit under long-term shutdown. These reactors generated roughly 56.7 billion units of electricity in the 2024–25 fiscal year—approximately 3.1 per cent of the nation’s total generation of 1,830 billion units. It was revealed that work is already underway on 10 new nuclear reactors, representing a concrete step toward increasing nuclear capacity more than tenfold by 2047, the centenary of India’s independence.

To realise this revolutionary scale-up, already approved and under-construction projects totalling 13,600 MW, including the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, are being deployed. As these projects become operational, total installed nuclear capacity will rise from 8,780 MW today to an estimated 22,380 MW by 2031–32. The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu currently generates 2,000 MW through its two VVER-1000 units; the commissioning of four more 1,000 MW reactors will elevate its capacity to 6,000 MW, reinforcing the southern grid’s reliability. The PFBR at Kalpakkam, situated along the same coast, is a critical component of India’s three-stage nuclear program, facilitating the recycling of spent fuel and strengthening energy self-reliance.

In line with India’s pursuit of long-term energy security and reduced import dependence, the government has announced the Nuclear Energy Mission, backed by a ₹20,000 crore investment under the 2025–26 Union Budget. The initiative focuses on deploying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) leading development of next-generation technologies, including the 200 MWe BSMR-200, a 55 MWe SMR, and a 5 MWth High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor targeted at hydrogen production. Expected to be operational within 60 to 72 months of sanction, these systems are designed to extend nuclear energy beyond grid-scale power plants into industrial captive facilities and hydrogen-based decarbonisation solutions.

In parallel, policy measures are being shaped to unlock private-sector participation and attract foreign investment, marking a significant shift from decades of state-controlled operations under the Atomic Energy Act of 1962.

Renewable energy expansion remains central to the strategy. By mid-2025, India’s renewable-installed capacity had crossed 194 GW, comprising solar, wind, hydro, and biomass. Renewables are now on track to supply over 40 per cent of electricity by 2030. Green hydrogen initiatives are poised to reach 5 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030, powered through a ₹19,700 crore investment pipeline, further bolstering efforts to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors. Pilot hydrogen hubs are already being set up in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, exploiting India’s 7,600 km coastline for offshore wind integration and green ammonia exports.

Underpinning these sectoral expansions is a coherent Energy Security Mission (ESM) that integrates nuclear, renewables, offshore hydrocarbon development, hydrogen, and mineral security. This includes an ambitious National Critical Minerals Mission, aimed at exploring over 1,200 sites to secure lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and other strategic minerals vital for clean energy and defense applications. Complementary policy measures such as Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) in procurement, early bulk equipment procurement, modular construction, and streamlined regulatory processes have been introduced to accelerate project execution and reduce cost overruns. The goal of establishing at least one nuclear power plant in every state, subject to suitability, is intended to ensure regional energy equity.

As India scales up its nuclear programme, safety remains central to its energy strategy. The framework relies on defence-in-depth architecture, layered redundancies, rigorous licensing processes, and independent monitoring by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. In parallel, India is strengthening engagement with international peer review systems to benchmark operational protocols against global safety standards and reinforce public confidence.

This integrated policy framework carries far-reaching economic and strategic implications. Achieving energy independence would reduce India’s fiscal exposure to volatile import bills, allowing the government to redirect substantial resources toward rural infrastructure, agricultural modernisation, and youth-focused development programmes. A stronger low-carbon baseload powered by large reactors and SMRs will enhance industrial reliability and strengthen India’s manufacturing competitiveness under the “Make in India” vision. At the same time, offshore hydrocarbon exploration will act as a buffer against global supply disruptions, while greater domestic control over critical mineral reserves will reinforce strategic autonomy. Emerging technologies such as SMRs and green hydrogen also create avenues for decentralised energy deployment, driving innovation across sectors.

However, achieving these goals will depend on overcoming several challenges. India will need to reform old regulatory systems that favour public-sector control and address issues around supplier liability to encourage greater private and foreign investment. It will also require steady capital inflows, faster environmental approvals for deepwater projects, and public acceptance of nuclear and mineral developments. Meeting the ambitious targets—such as a tenfold increase in nuclear capacity, achieving 100 GW by 2047, and building large-scale hydrogen and offshore energy infrastructure—will demand strong political commitment, better coordination between ministries, and confidence from investors.

By the time India marks its 100th year of independence, the plan envisions a nation powered by 100 GW of nuclear energy, with half of its electricity coming from renewables and hydrogen, increased domestic oil and gas production, and greater control over critical minerals. This transformation aims not only to drive a clean energy transition but also to strengthen economic stability, technological leadership, and India’s position as an energy-secure global power.

India’s Nuclear Power Roadmap: