India fast-tracks the nuclear pathway to 100 GW by 2047: Joint Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, GoI
January 25, 2026
NEW DELHI, 25 January 2026: As India advances towards Viksit Bharat 2047, achieving 100 GW of nuclear energy capacity has emerged as a strategic imperative to ensure clean, firm and round-the-clock power, alongside large-scale renewable integration, highlighted speakers at a high-level Round Table on Advancing India’s Nuclear Energy Capacity: Pathway to 100 GW by 2047, organized by FICCI on Thursday. The round table brought together senior policymakers, regulators, power sector leaders and industry experts to deliberate on the reforms, investments and institutional frameworks required to scale nuclear energy safely and credibly over the next two decades.
Speaking on safety and institutional readiness, Mr P S Karthigeyan, Joint Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India stressed that India’s nuclear expansion to 100 GW represents a long-term national commitment anchored in uncompromising safety, security and public trust. He highlighted that strong safety systems and regulatory oversight are enablers not constraints of scale. Emphasizing standardization and indigenous manufacturing under Make in India, he pointed to significant opportunities for Indian industry supported by policy certainty, strengthened fuel security, green and climate finance, and focused human capital development.
Mr Rajnath Ram, Adviser, NITI Aayog, Government of India underlined that India’s scale of industrialization and electrification demands clean, firm and predictable power, making nuclear energy indispensable for grid stability and sustainable growth. He noted that the SHANTI Act marks a structural shift by transforming nuclear energy into India’s energy transition goals, while calling for long-term infrastructure investment, integrated planning with renewables & storage, robust supply chains, and financing frameworks that balance affordability with commercial viability. He also highlighted the role of SMRs, modernization, international collaboration and private sector participation to overcome scale & supply chain constraints.
Mr Subhro Paul, Director, Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power, Government of India emphasized that achieving 100 GW of nuclear capacity is fundamentally a power system reform challenge rather than a standalone generation target. He noted that in a renewables-dominated future, nuclear energy will play a critical role as a strategic grid resource, offering round-the-clock supply, low and stable fuel costs, and long-term energy security under India’s three-stage nuclear programme. Highlighting the importance of the SHANTI Act, he underscored the need for integrated generation transmission planning, operational flexibility, long-term PPAs and concessional financing to reduce delivered power costs and attract investment at scale.
Mr Prateek Agrawal, Executive Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd highlighted that India’s nuclear journey is evolving from a centralized programme to a collaborative national mission. He noted that NPCIL’s legacy of safety discipline and institutional learning provides a strong foundation for scale, but future growth will require a programme-based approach centred on standardized designs, repeat construction, predictable execution and ecosystem development. He emphasized that sustained investment in human capital, safety culture and transparency will be critical to maintaining public confidence as participation broadens.
The roundtable reinforced the need to move beyond ad-hoc project execution towards a structured, programmatic and decentralized plant-building approach, enabling India to execute multiple nuclear projects simultaneously across regions. Participants highlighted standardization of reactor designs, predictable licensing timelines, robust risk allocation and global best practices as key enablers for cost reduction and faster execution.
Financing emerged as a central challenge, with participants calling for innovative tariff mechanisms, long-term PPAs, regulated auctions and inclusion of nuclear energy within green finance frameworks for enhanced capital availability. The discussion also underscored the need to revisit restrictions on private participation, strengthen liability and compensation frameworks, and enable transparent FDI and technology transfer to unlock global capital and expertise. Participants emphasized that nuclear expansion must be accompanied by social engagement, public awareness and community trust, alongside strong institutional capacity and safety oversight.
The round table highlighted a clear consensus: India’s nuclear energy programme must now move decisively from intent to execution. With coordinated action across policy, regulation, finance, technology and industry, nuclear energy can emerge as a core pillar of India’s clean energy transition, supporting grid stability, energy security and long-term economic growth as the country advances towards 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047.
FICCI’s Civil Nuclear Taskforce provides platform for structured government-industry dialogue alongside making policy recommendations and creating platforms for industry to leverage the opportunities and resolve challenges across domestic & global partnerships, technology adoption, financing & investments and standardization.