India looks to private firms for nuclear power boost

India expects private companies to invest around seven-point-five lakh crore rupees and add thirty gigawatts of nuclear power by the year 2047. Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty shared these details during an interview in Ranchi. The country currently has about nine gigawatts of installed nuclear power capacity.

Current Status

State-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited operates twenty-four reactors across the country. Another seventeen reactors with a total capacity of thirteen gigawatts are currently under construction. Mr. Mohanty stated that building a nuclear plant usually takes five to seven years based on technology and regulatory approvals. The SHANTI Act passed in December 2025 opened the sector to private companies while keeping sovereign control over sensitive work. Private firms are now checking reactor technologies and fuel supply options.

Future Plans

Officials expect a couple of private players to run their own reactors within five years. Generating one megawatt of nuclear power costs about twenty-five crore rupees. India is also exploring small modular reactors to supply power to energy-heavy industries like steel and cement. The country continues to pursue its three-stage nuclear programme to make use of domestic thorium resources. India holds twenty-five percent of global thorium reserves found in coastal sands in states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor in Kalpakkam reached its first criticality in April 2026.

Context

India has signed civil nuclear cooperation agreements with eighteen countries to help expand its atomic energy sector. The country relies on domestic uranium and thorium alongside international partnerships with nations like Russia, France, and the United States to build its nuclear future.