NPCIL will contribute over 50% of 100GW nuclear target

Nuclear Power Corporation of India's chairman and managing director Bhuwan Chandra Pathak talks to Sridhar Raman about scaling indigenous PHWR technology to exploring collaborations with global partners and developing Bharat Small Reactors. Edited excerpts

- Sridhar Raman

What are NPCIL's immediate priorities under the National Nuclear Mission, and how do they align with India's long-term target of 100GW nuclear capacity by 2047?

The Nuclear Energy Mission is an ambitious programme to expand clean energy and drive the transition to net zero, with NPCIL at its core. A major expansion plan is already under way, with projects at different stages of implementation. Once completed, installed capacity will reach 22GW by 2031–32.

Factoring in project sites with 'in-principle' approval and additional fleets of indigenous 700MW PHWRs [pressurised heavy water reactors], NPCIL will contribute over 50% of the 100GW nuclear target.

Our indigenous technology, aligned with the three-stage nuclear programme, remains the mainstay. At the same time, we are open to collaborating with foreign partners on large-capacity reactors of other technologies, provided costs are comparable.

We have also issued an RFP [request for proposal] for BSRs [Bharat Small Reactors] to help hard-to-abate industries decarbonise, and are developing Bharat Small Modular Reactors [BSMRs] with BARC [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre].

While scaling up, equal focus is on timely execution. NPCIL is laying the groundwork for India's nuclear renaissance—building a cleaner, more inclusive future powered by reliable, low-carbon energy.

Of the 100GW what share will NPCIL aim to develop itself, and how do you plan to secure fuel, technology and components?