Context:

• International sanctions were imposed on India after its peaceful nuclear test of 1974.
• The India-US civil nuclear deal of 2008 ended restrictions on uranium and nuclear plant imports, with some critical exceptions, enabling India's nuclear programme to grow through free uranium imports.
• Negotiations with major Western nuclear plant suppliers were later abandoned as their plants proved far too expensive.
• As India now sets an ambitious target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047, this article examines whether the country should rely on its own proven technology or import expensive foreign alternatives.

India's Homegrown Nuclear Advantage

• Sanctions forced India to innovate domestically. Every component in India's nuclear plants has been designed, developed, tested, and manufactured within the country through sustained partnerships between the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Indian firms.
• Unit sizes have grown from 200 MW to 500 MW, with 700 MW units now developed, four under construction, and ten more in the pipeline.
• India today builds the world's cheapest nuclear power plants at approximately $1,700 per kW, compared to South Korea's $2,200, France's over $5,500, and the US's $15,000 per kW.
• This gives India strong potential to become a major global exporter of nuclear power plants, making any move toward importing costlier foreign technology questionable.

Technological Leadership and the LWR Gap

• India has strengthened its technological standing further with its 500 MW commercial fast breeder reactor nearing commissioning.
• Currently, India operates Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), which use natural uranium.
• However, Light Water Reactors (LWRs), which use enriched uranium and are more widely deployed globally, remain undeveloped
• Since the Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver permanently bars transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology to India, the country must develop its own LWR capability through a dedicated, well-resourced programme.

Scaling Up While Staying Self-Reliant

• To meet the 100 GW target by 2047, India has opened the nuclear sector to new public and private entrants through investor-friendly legislation. Nuclear power is now cost-competitive with thermal power.
• Using proven domestic technology for this expansion would be the most cost-effective approach, leveraging scale effects to lower production costs further, while new entrants could also help reduce project execution time and costs.
• Importing expensive foreign technology streams would undermine this advantage and should not be seriously considered.

Small Modular Reactors: Proceed with Caution

• To power AI data centres' massive energy needs, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are being explored in the West, though their designs remain under development with no commercial deployment yet.
• The AEC has already offered 200 MW plant technology to new entrants, and smaller reactors can be developed domestically through AEC-industry partnerships.
• For foreign-designed SMRs, a cautious regulatory approach is advisable: such reactors should have a proven operational track record elsewhere before deployment in India, rather than being tested experimentally on Indian soil.

Safety as the Non-Negotiable Priority

• India's nuclear safety record has been exemplary and must be preserved amid rapid expansion.
• This is a significant challenge given India's broader industrial safety culture, where accidents at construction and operational sites remain frequent.
• A single nuclear mishap could trigger public backlash similar to the post-Chernobyl slowdown in the West.
• New entrants should therefore start with a few plants, build rigorous internal safety cultures backed by continuous external audits, and scale up gradually rather than rushing expansion.

Conclusion

• India's nuclear journey shows how sanctions bred self-reliance and cost leadership.
• Achieving 100 GW by 2047 is achievable, but only through calibrated growth that prioritises domestic technology, safety culture, and gradual scaling, ensuring India emerges as both energy-secure and globally competitive.