Megha Engineering wins ₹12,800-cr NPCIL deal for Kaiga nuclear reactors

Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering makes its nuclear debut with NPCIL's largest-ever order, bagging a ₹12,800-crore deal to build two reactors in Karnataka

Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) has received a formal purchase order from the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the construction of two 700 megawatt electric (MWe) nuclear reactors — Kaiga units 5 and 6 — in Karnataka. The contract, valued at ₹12,800 crore, is an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project. 

This project marks MEIL’s debut in the nuclear power segment. In a statement, the Hyderabad-headquartered company said, “This is the largest-ever order placed by NPCIL.” The order comes almost a year after MEIL emerged as the winner of the contract in June 2024, Mint reported.

 

Selection through QCBS method

“For the first time, NPCIL used the Quality-cum-Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) method for awarding this project — striking a careful balance between quality and cost. Competing with industry giants like BHEL and L&T, MEIL was chosen for its strong technical approach and competitive pricing,” the company noted. 

MEIL is active across various sectors including power, irrigation, water, defence, transport, hydrocarbons, oil rigs, electric mobility, and compressed gas distribution. On the international front, MEIL secured a $648 million contract in September 2023 to build a crude oil refinery for Mongol Refinery State Owned LLC. 

 

India’s energy ambitions

The development comes as the Union government is working towards enhancing its nuclear energy capacity as part of its broader clean energy goals. The country aims to reach 500GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030. 

India’s current installed nuclear power capacity stands at 8.18GW. According to the Union power ministry’s data presented in Parliament in March, plans are underway to triple this capacity by 2032. Around 14.3GW of nuclear capacity is either under implementation or planned, with 7.3 GW already under construction. Meanwhile, the government is also prioritising the development of small modular reactors to overcome challenges related to land availability.