Page 53 - NIS English 16-31 December, 2025

Nuclear Energy | SPECIAL REPORT

Government Initiatives to
Expand India’s Nuclear Capacity
Reform is a continuous process; reforms
India is actively expanding its nuclear must be undertaken as per the demands
power capacity to meet growing energy of the times and prevailing circumstances.
demands and achieve environmental In the field of nuclear energy, we have
goals. The government has taken steps to introduced major reforms. We have
increase nuclear power capacity from the now opened the doors of nuclear
current 8,780 MW to 22,480 MW by energy to the private sector as well;
2031-32. This expansion includes the we want to combine our strengths.
construction and commissioning of ten Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
reactors with a total capacity of 8,000
MW in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
Haryana, Karnataka, and Madhya New nuclear reactors commissioned in 11 years
Pradesh. Pre-project activities have
begun for another ten reactors, which are Plant Name Capacity
planned to be completed by 2031-32.
Furthermore, the government has Kudanku- Kudanku-
granted in-principle approval to establish lam Nucle- lam Atomic
a 6 x 1208 MW nuclear power plant in ar Power Power
collaboration with the United States at Plant, 1,000 MW Plant, 1,000 MW
Kovvada in Srikakulam district in the Unit 1 Unit 2
state of Andhra Pradesh.
On September 19, 2024, the country
achieved a significant milestone in the Kakrapar Kakrapar
field of nuclear energy. Unit 7 of the Atomic Atomic
Rajasthan Atomic Power Project, one of Power Power
the country’s largest and the third Project, 700 MW Station, 700 MW
indigenous nuclear reactor, has reached Unit 3 Unit 4
criticality. The plant initiated a controlled
fission chain reaction. This symbolizes
India’s growing capability to build and Rajasthan
operate indigenous nuclear reactors Atomic Power 700 MW
powered by homegrown technology. Project, Unit 7

n By 2047, India is moving forward with
a resolve to increase its nuclear power
capacity more than tenfold.
n Annual nuclear power generation
increased by 60% from 35,592
million units in 2014-15 to 56,681
million units in 2024-25.
n Installed nuclear capacity increased
by 71% from approximately 4,780 initiative aims to enhance domestic nuclear capabilities,
MW in 2014 to 8,780 MW in 2025 promote private sector participation, and accelerate the
across 25 nuclear reactors operated by deployment of advanced nuclear technologies such as small
Nuclear Power Corporation of India modular reactors. The government has allocated r20,000
Limited (NPCIL). crore for this initiative, with the goal of developing at least
five indigenously designed and operational small modular

reactors by 2033. n

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