Nuclear power capacity to reach 22 GW by FY32, says Jitendra Singh

The minister said India aims to achieve 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, with small modular reactors and private participation playing a key role

India's nuclear power generation capacity is expected to reach 22 gigawatts (GW) by FY32 from the current 8.78 GW, following the completion of projects at various stages of implementation under the Nuclear Energy Mission roadmap, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in Parliament on Wednesday.

 

An additional 32 GW of nuclear power capacity is envisaged beyond FY32 by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), comprising indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and Light Water Reactors (LWRs). This would take the country's nuclear power capacity to about 54 GW by 2047. The remaining 46 GW is expected to be set up by public sector enterprises, state governments, the private sector and joint ventures under different business models, comprising reactors based on different technologies.

   

The Nuclear Energy Mission was announced in the Union Budget for FY26 with the objective of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power generation capacity by 2047. The government introduced the SHANTI Act, 2025, to support the mission and open the sector to private participation. It also aims to develop and operationalise at least five indigenous small modular reactors (SMRs) by 2033.

 

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has undertaken the design and development of three SMRs: the 220-megawatt (MW) Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), the 55 MW Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55), and the High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) of up to 5 MW for hydrogen production.

 

For all three reactors, in-principle approval for engineering and construction has been received. Tarapur in Maharashtra has been approved by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) as the site for the BSMR-200 and SMR-55.

 

The proposal for administrative and financial sanction for the BSMR-200 has been cleared by the AEC, and approval from the Empowered Technology Group (ETG) has also been obtained.

 

The HTGCR of up to 5 MW is being designed and developed by BARC as a nuclear heat source for suitable thermochemical cycles, such as the copper-chlorine cycle, for hydrogen production. The proposed site for the reactor is BARC, Visakhapatnam, and siting consent has been received, the minister said. He added that the terms of reference for obtaining environmental clearance had been received from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).