The Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, outlined the current status of nuclear power generation, ongoing and planned projects, and the role of public sector and international partnerships under the Nuclear Energy Mission.
Operational Nuclear Power Capacity
At present, India has 24 nuclear power reactors in commercial operation, excluding the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station-1 (RAPS-1), which is under extended shutdown.
The total installed nuclear capacity stands at 8,780 MW. Of this, four reactors with a combined capacity of 760 MW are currently in project mode for renovation, modernisation or refurbishment, while the remaining 20 reactors, aggregating 8,020 MW, are operational.
These plants are spread across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.
Projects Under Construction and in the Pipeline
The Minister said that eight nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 6,600 MW are at various stages of construction or commissioning, while ten more reactors with a combined capacity of 7,000 MW are under pre-project activities.
Projects under construction include units at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, Kudankulam and Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, and Gorakhpur in Haryana.
Projects in the pre-project stage are planned at Kaiga in Karnataka, Gorakhpur in Haryana, Chutka in Madhya Pradesh, and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.
Push for Small Modular Reactors
As part of the Nuclear Energy Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, the government has earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for research, design, development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The objective is to develop and operationalise at least five indigenously designed SMRs by 2033.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has initiated work on multiple SMR designs, including a 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), a 55 MWe SMR-55, and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor of up to 5 MW thermal capacity aimed at hydrogen generation.
Role of Public and Private Sectors
Under the Nuclear Energy Mission, India aims to scale up nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047 from the current level of about 8.78 GW. Public sector undertakings under the Department of Atomic Energy are expected to contribute around 58–60 GW, while the remaining capacity is envisaged to be developed by public and private sector companies.
Foreign Cooperation
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is currently setting up four reactors with a total capacity of 4 GW in cooperation with the Russian Federation. As part of its long-term roadmap to reach around 54 GW by 2047, NPCIL plans to add another 17.6 GW with foreign cooperation.
Source: KNN
