Author: PPD Team Date: 29/04/2025
At a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Power on April 28, 2025, the Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, presented the government’s roadmap for expanding nuclear power generation in India.
The meeting focused on how nuclear energy can support India’s clean energy goals and long-term energy security. The minister highlighted that nuclear energy is not limited to electricity generation. It can also support non-electric uses like hydrogen production, desalination, process steam, and space heating.
India currently has 25 operational nuclear reactors across seven sites, with a total installed capacity of 8,880 MW. These contribute around 3 per cent of the country’s electricity generation. Another eight reactors, adding 6,600 MW, are under construction. Ten more reactors with 7,000 MW capacity are in pre-project stages.
To support the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’, the government aims to raise nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047. This expansion will help India meet its net zero emissions target by 2070, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and ensure stable power supply.
The minister stressed the need to revise key laws, such as the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. These amendments would allow greater participation from both private and state sectors.
Other proposed measures include:
- Building public awareness on nuclear safety.
- Using brownfield sites and retired thermal plants to speed up land acquisition.
- Streamlining regulatory approvals to cut project delays.
- Offering tax breaks, green classification, and long-term financing to make nuclear power more cost-competitive.
To strengthen the supply chain, the roadmap suggests promoting domestic manufacturing under the Make in India initiative, increasing technology options through competitive bidding, and securing diversified sources of uranium fuel. The minister also called for expanding the vendor base for nuclear equipment and improving nuclear education and training to develop skilled manpower.
The role of nuclear energy as a clean, reliable, and non-fossil source is seen as critical in lowering emissions from the power sector, which currently accounts for over 40 per cent of global energy-related emissions.