Narendra Modi has set a clear target: 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. The announcement came from the Red Fort in New Delhi on August 15, Independence Day, marking a significant departure from India’s traditionally cautious approach to civil nuclear energy. Current installed capacity stands at 8.8 GW — reaching the new goal would mean multiplying it elevenfold in two decades.
The plan rests on two parallel tracks. The first focuses on large reactors: the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) aims to install around 54 GW by 2047 through indigenously designed pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) and light water reactors developed through international partnerships. The remaining 46 GW are expected to come from state-owned enterprises, regional governments, private companies, and joint ventures. The second — and newer — track centers on Small Modular Reactors. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is developing three distinct designs: the BSMR-200 (220 MWe), the SMR-55 (55 MWe), and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor of up to 5 MWth intended for hydrogen production. The target is to have at least five SMRs operational by 2033.
Underpinning this expansion is a major legislative shift. The Indian Parliament has passed the SHANTI Act, which formally opens the nuclear sector to private participation. Prior to this legislation, nuclear power generation was exclusively a state prerogative. Private companies can now enter the market either as independent developers or through joint ventures. The Nuclear Energy Mission, announced in the 2025–26 Union Budget, has allocated 20,000 crore rupees for the research, design, and deployment of SMRs. By 2031–32, installed capacity is projected to reach 22 GW on the back of projects already underway.
On the technology front, 2026 has delivered a concrete milestone. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, in Tamil Nadu, achieved criticality this year. The 500 MW reactor, developed by BHAVINI, runs on mixed plutonium-based fuel and uses liquid sodium as a coolant. It represents the second stage of India’s three-phase nuclear programme, designed to recycle spent fuel from PHWRs and establish a self-sustaining fuel cycle. Modi specifically cited it as a step toward nuclear fuel self-sufficiency.
The nuclear push fits into a broader energy strategy. India has more than quadrupled its non-fossil energy capacity over the past decade, growing from 2 GW of solar in 2014 to 160 GW today. Yet electricity demand keeps surging, driven by the rapid expansion of data centres, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor manufacturing. Modi has made clear that renewables alone are not enough: round-the-clock baseload power is essential. In this vision, nuclear energy is the structural answer to the country’s industrial growth. With agreements already in place for the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor at Kovvada, Andhra Pradesh, and growing openness to US SMR technologies, India is positioning itself as one of the most dynamic nuclear markets of the coming decade.
