Transforming India’s nuclear power landscape, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• India aims to increase its nuclear power capacity from 8,180 MW to 100 GW by 2047, as announced in the 2025-26 Budget.
• The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill was passed in December 2025 to facilitate this expansion.
• The SHANTI Act allows private companies to build, own, and operate nuclear power plants.
• India targets achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070, driving the need for nuclear energy expansion.

Detailed Insights:

• The SHANTI Act repeals the 1962 Atomic Energy Act and the 2010 Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, overhauling the regulatory landscape.
• India's per capita electricity generation in 2024 was 1,418 kWh, significantly lower than China (7,097 kWh) and the United States (12,701 kWh), highlighting the need for increased capacity.
• As of June 2025, India's electricity generating capacity was 476 GW, with approximately 50% from non-fossil fuel sources, including 8.8 GW from nuclear power.
• Achieving 100 GW of nuclear power requires an estimated investment of over $200 billion, necessitating private sector participation.
• The government has allocated ₹20,000 crore for research and development of five indigenous Small Modular Reactor (SMR) models by 2033.
• A three-pronged strategy is needed: indigenizing foreign reactor designs, developing indigenous SMRs, and modularizing the 220 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) model.

How UPSC asks Questions on this:

UPSC Prelims 2020

Key Concepts Involved:

• Viksit Bharat: India's vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, requiring significant infrastructure and energy development.
• Net-Zero Emissions: Balancing greenhouse gas emissions with removals, aiming for an overall zero impact on the climate.
• Small Modular Reactor (SMR): A nuclear reactor that is smaller than conventional reactors, designed to be built in a factory and transported to a site for installation.