India is set to reform its nuclear laws to attract private and foreign investment, aiming to boost nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047.
The government plans to repurpose retiring coal sites for nuclear projects.
It is in talks to amend laws to facilitate private and foreign participation, with a focus on Small Modular Reactors.
India is preparing sweeping reforms to attract private and foreign investment into its nuclear sector, while also considering the repurposing of retiring coal power sites for nuclear projects, as the government eyes a twelvefold scale-up to 100 gigawatts (GW) of capacity by 2047, a senior government official confirmed on September 22, 2025
In the Union Budget 2025–26, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the nuclear energy mission, focused on Small Modular Reactors (SMR) research and development, with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore. Since then, talks have been ongoing to bring changes to laws to allow private participation in the nuclear energy sector.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) chairperson Ghyansham Prasad, at the Confederation of Indian Industry's international energy conference, disclosed that amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Nuclear Liability Act are under discussion to open the sector to private capital and foreign direct investment (FDI).
“You need private capital to get into this sector, you need foreign direct investment also. Unless the current laws are amended, private players and FDI are unlikely to come in. The government has committed to bring those reforms, and I do expect in the next few months this should happen,” Prasad said, describing the changes as “one of the most important policy enablers.”
In another strategic shift, the government is considering using retired coal power plant sites to host nuclear reactors, leveraging existing infrastructure to cut costs and reduce land acquisition hurdles. “Coal sites that are shutting down can be converted into opportunities for low-carbon baseload power,” he explained.
Global partnerships are also gathering momentum. French utility Électricité de France (EDF) confirmed plans to co-develop a 400 megawatt (MW) SMR with India, building on its involvement in Jaitapur, which will be the world’s largest nuclear station at nearly 10 GW once completed. EDF has opened engineering and vendor development offices in Mumbai and Gujarat, and is training Indian suppliers on French nuclear codes and standards.
“We are encouraging Indian companies to get certified so they can directly qualify for global supply chains,” Kalirajan S, managing director of EDF, said. “Our interest is to develop a long-term supporting ecosystem in India, from design and engineering to manufacturing and operations.”
Anil V Parab of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) flagged serious bottlenecks in the way nuclear projects are currently executed. A senior representative said it takes 13-15 years to build a nuclear plant today, with 7-8 years lost to regulatory processes alone.
“If clearances are standardised and fast-tracked, the timeline can be cut to 6-8 years,” he said, adding that the Union Minister of Atomic Energy is “keen to halve regulatory delays”.
Cost competitiveness was identified as another crucial factor. “Tariffs must remain affordable, otherwise distribution companies will hesitate to sign long-term agreements. The financing model for nuclear has to address both risk and cost,” Kalirajan cautioned.
Despite these challenges, India’s industrial base is considered a strong asset. L&T, for example, is currently producing four to five nuclear steam generators a year but is operating at just 30 per cent of its total capacity.
“If the 100 GW plan is pursued, they could easily meet 20 per cent of the requirement. Large capacity is available in India, and it will not be a mistake to rely on it,” Prasad said.
Reaching the 100 GW target would require India to add about 4.2 GW of nuclear capacity every year for the next 22 years — nearly 12 times its current pace.
Prasad pointed to international precedents to argue it is achievable. “The US, between 1970 and 1990, set up 4.7 GW per year on average. What India needs is 4.2 GW. If it is achieved elsewhere, why not in India?” he asked.
The government has already earmarked around Rs 20,000 crore for upcoming projects, including a 5 MW high-temperature gas reactor designed for green hydrogen production. In the long term, India also plans to shift from imported uranium to its abundant thorium reserves to enhance fuel security.
Industry executives agreed that while the 100 GW goal is formidable, it is within reach if reforms, financing models and partnerships align.