Why in news?

In his Independence Day address, PM Modi set a target of expanding India's nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047, along with commissioning five new nuclear reactors within the current decade.

This comes as India bets on nuclear power to meet the rapidly rising electricity demand from emerging sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and data centres.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why India Needs More Nuclear Power?
• Policy Backdrop: The SHANTI Act
• Two-Pronged Strategy: Large Reactors + SMRs
• India's Indigenous SMR Programme
• Current Status of India's Nuclear Sector
• India's Three-Stage Nuclear Programme

Why India Needs More Nuclear Power?

• PM Modi highlighted that the growing adoption of future technologies would sharply increase electricity demand: "It will be difficult to run this new world without energy... whether it is chips, AI or data centres, we will need very large amounts of electricity."
• Nuclear power is being positioned as a carbon-neutral, reliable baseload source to meet this demand alongside the growing renewable energy mix.

Policy Backdrop: The SHANTI Act

• PM Modi's announcement follows Parliament's passage of the SHANTI Act last year, which:
  • Opens the door to wider private participation in India's tightly regulated civil nuclear power sector.
  • Has drawn interest from global nuclear technology suppliers from Russia, the US, and France.
• The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) recently released draft rules under the Act, laying out the regulatory framework for private participation, captive generation, licensing, safety oversight, and nuclear liability.

Two-Pronged Strategy: Large Reactors + SMRs

• To achieve the 100 GW target by 2047, the government is pursuing a two-pronged approach:
  • Large-capacity reactors — continuing to expand conventional nuclear capacity.
  • Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) — for faster, more flexible deployment.
• Why SMRs Matter?
  • India's indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) will remain the backbone of nuclear expansion, but SMRs are gaining importance for industrial decarbonisation.
  • SMRs offer flexible baseload power, helping grid operators balance the variability of large-scale renewable energy integration.
  • High costs of large Light Water Reactors (LWRs) have raised questions about their large-scale feasibility, making SMRs the focal point of India's international nuclear collaborations.
  • In May 2026, a high-level American nuclear delegation was briefed on India's plans to enter the SMR manufacturing value chain.

India's Indigenous SMR Programme

• The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is developing three types of SMRs for demonstration:
  • Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200) — 200 MWe
  • A 55 MWe small modular reactor
  • A 5 MWt high-temperature gas-cooled reactor for hydrogen production via thermochemical coupling
• Target: At least five indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033.
• The Nuclear Energy Mission, with a budgetary outlay of ₹20,000 crore, has been launched for research, design, development, and deployment of SMRs.
• The government is also studying the repurposing of old thermal power plant sites for nuclear use, particularly suited for SMRs and smaller nuclear projects.

Current Status of India's Nuclear Sector

• 25 operational reactors, totalling 8.7 GWe capacity.
• 10 reactors under construction, adding around 8 GWe.
• 10 more units in the pre-project stage, with approximately 6.6 GWe capacity.

India's Three-Stage Nuclear Programme

• India follows a three-stage nuclear power programme aimed at achieving long-term fuel self-reliance, leveraging its abundant thorium reserves:
  • Stage 1: PHWRs using natural uranium as fuel.
  • Stage 2: Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) use the plutonium generated from Stage 1's spent fuel, combined with depleted uranium, to convert Thorium-232 (Th-232) into Uranium-233 (U-233).
  • Stage 3: Th-232 is converted into U-233, which becomes fuel for advanced reactors — completing the shift toward thorium-based self-reliance.
• FBRs serve as the crucial bridge between Stages 1 and 3, enabling India to tap its thorium resources.
• Recent Milestone
  • In April 2026, India's first indigenous fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam attained criticality — a major milestone.
  • PM Modi noted: "This year, India crossed an important milestone by mastering fast breeder nuclear technology... a major step towards achieving self-reliance in nuclear fuel."

Conclusion

India's 100 GW nuclear ambition reflects a broader recognition that the AI-driven digital economy demands massive, reliable, carbon-neutral power.

By combining indigenous thorium-based self-reliance with SMR innovation and private participation, India aims to position nuclear energy as a cornerstone of both its technological future and climate commitments.