Nuclear power sector to open for private players soon as India eyes 100 GW capacity by 2047

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Centre will soon open India’s tightly regulated nuclear power sector to private players, calling it a major reform that will boost the country’s long-term energy security.

The prime minister made the announcement while inaugurating Skyroot Aerospace’s “Infinity” campus in Hyderabad through video conferencing.

“We are moving towards opening the nuclear sector as well. We are laying the foundation for a strong role for the private sector in this field too,” Modi said.

His remarks come ahead of the Winter session of Parliament beginning December 1, during which the government has listed The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025 for introduction.

The proposed legislation seeks to permit private sector participation in nuclear power generation, a departure from India’s decades-old policy of exclusive state control.

At present, the Atomic Energy Act bars private companies and even state governments from operating nuclear power facilities. Only the central government and its enterprises are authorised to run such plants.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), a public sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy, currently operates all 24 commercial nuclear reactors in the country.

India’s installed nuclear power capacity stands at 8,180 MW, accounting for just about 2% of the country’s total electricity generation.

The government has set an ambitious target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, requiring a more than tenfold expansion.

Modi said that allowing private players in the sector will “create opportunities in small modular reactors, advanced reactors and nuclear innovation.”

“This reform will give new strength to our energy security and technological leadership," he added.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget in February this year, had also announced plans to amend the nuclear liability law.