India is aiming for 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh restated the goal on the sidelines of the Bloomberg Economy Forum 2026, in an interview given on October 20.
Singh tied the expansion of nuclear power to a longer-term objective: net-zero emissions by 2070. According to the minister, nuclear will work alongside other sources to provide a continuous and reliable supply of clean electricity. He also invoked the vision of Homi Bhabha, regarded as the architect of India’s nuclear program, and noted that the program is devoted to peaceful purposes and the country’s development.
The most timely part of his remarks concerned electricity demand. Singh explained that the growth of artificial intelligence and data centers requires sources capable of meeting high, uninterrupted consumption. Reliable power infrastructure, he said, will be essential for an economy increasingly tied to technology. AI, he added, should be seen as a cross-cutting tool, from space to the life sciences, and its use requires human judgment. Rules alone are not enough: the integrity of individuals and of the country matters as well.
The minister also addressed the role of the private sector. The Modi government has opened sectors considered critical and sensitive to non-state operators, widening the scope for participation. For India’s nuclear sector, traditionally in the hands of public bodies, this paves the way for new investment, capital and industrial expertise, needed to take the reactor fleet from current levels to a capacity many times larger than that of many mid-sized European programs.
For readers in Europe, the figure is a useful benchmark. The world’s most populous country is linking economic growth, digitalization and decarbonization to a single choice: more stable nuclear energy, alongside renewables. If the trajectory outlined by Singh is met, over the next twenty years India will become one of the largest markets for large-scale reactors and SMRs, with repercussions for the international supply chain in components, fuel and engineering.
