Govt Plans Private Participation In India’s Nuclear Sector To Boost Innovation: PM Modi

Hyderabad, Nov 28 (KNN) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the government will open the country’s nuclear sector to private participation, marking a major policy shift aimed at expanding India’s nuclear power capacity and accelerating clean energy innovation. 

The announcement came during the inauguration of Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad, where the Prime Minister launched India’s first privately built satellite, Vikram-I.

Modi noted that the growth of India’s private space industry highlights the transformative effect of private-sector participation in strategic areas, and added that India’s space talent is gaining considerable global investor interest.

The Prime Minister said the government intends to replicate this model by opening the nuclear sector to private companies. 

“We will open up the nuclear sector to the private sector soon. This will strengthen opportunities in small modular and advanced reactors and nuclear innovations,” he added while emphasising that plans for this initiative are already underway. 

The initiative will support the development of Bharat Small Reactors, advanced modular reactors, and other next-generation technologies as India works to diversify its energy mix and enhance long-term energy security.

The move represents a sharp departure from the Atomic Energy Act of 1962, which restricted private-sector involvement in nuclear power generation. 

Modi’s remarks come days before the start of the Parliament’s Winter Session, where the government will table 10 Bills, including the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025. The Bill seeks to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the civilian use of atomic energy.

The government has outlined plans to increase nuclear capacity from the current 8,880 MW to 22,480 MW by 2031–32, and to eventually scale up to 100 GW by 2047 to support the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision. 

(KNN Bureau)