5 indigenous small modular reactors targeted by 2033, Jitendra Singh tells LS
The Department of Atomic Energy informed the Lok Sabha, in a written reply, of a target to bring at least five indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) into operation by 2033.
Three SMR designs are under development by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC): the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200, 220 MWe), the SMR-55 (55 MWe), and a High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGCR, up to 5 MWth) intended for hydrogen production.
All three designs have received in-principle approval for engineering and construction; the BSMR-200 and SMR-55 are designated for Tarapur, Maharashtra, while the HTGCR is designated for BARC, Vizag.
The SMR push is placed within a wider target of 100 GWe of nuclear power capacity by 2047, against current installed capacity of 8.78 GW and a near-term target of about 22 GW by 2031-32.
Parliament's recent enactment of a new nuclear law was cited as opening the sector to private participation for the first time since independence.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) — Definition and Technology
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines SMRs as advanced nuclear reactors producing up to 300 MWe per module, roughly one-third the capacity of a conventional large reactor. Their appeal lies in factory-based modular fabrication, reduced on-site construction time, smaller capital outlay per unit, and site flexibility (including retrofitting at former thermal power plant locations to reuse grid connectivity).
Key Details
- IAEA capacity band: up to 300 MWe per module; India's Department of Atomic Energy uses a similar range, from below 30 MWe to over 300 MWe, to classify SMR types
- India's Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200) is rated at 220 MWe, derived from the indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) design lineage
- The HTGCR variant is a non-electricity SMR aimed at process heat for hydrogen production, distinguishing it from power-generation SMRs
- SMRs are being positioned globally (and in India) as a decarbonisation tool for retiring coal-based captive power and heavy industry
The three BARC designs cited in the Lok Sabha reply — BSMR-200, SMR-55, and HTGCR — are concrete examples of the IAEA's SMR capacity classification being operationalised in India's own reactor fleet, with Tarapur and Vizag as the first deployment sites.
SHANTI Act, 2025 — Opening Nuclear Energy to Private Participation
The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025 was enacted by Parliament and received presidential assent, repealing and consolidating the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 into a single framework. For the first time since independence, it permits private Indian companies, joint ventures, and foreign entities (short of foreign direct investment, which remains barred) to build, own, operate, and decommission nuclear power plants, ending the exclusive role of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
Key Details
- Repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, replacing them with a consolidated statute
- Grants statutory recognition and independent status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which was previously a subordinate body created by executive order under the 1962 Act; private entities must obtain prior safety authorisation from AERB
- FDI in atomic energy remains prohibited under India's FDI policy even after the Act; private participation is limited to domestic private companies, joint ventures, and permitted foreign entities without equity FDI
- Target split for the 100 GWe by 2047 goal: roughly 54 GW from state-led (NPCIL) capacity and 46 GW from private entities and joint ventures
The SMR targets announced in the Lok Sabha reply are designed to be delivered partly through this newly opened private-sector route under the SHANTI Act, alongside continued public-sector development by BARC and NPCIL.
India's Nuclear Capacity Trajectory and the 2047 Target
India's civil nuclear programme, historically confined to the public sector under NPCIL, is being scaled up through a combination of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), imported Light Water Reactors (LWRs) under international cooperation, and now SMRs, to meet the "Viksit Bharat" goal of 100 GWe nuclear capacity by 2047 and India's net-zero emissions target of 2070.
Key Details
- Current installed nuclear capacity: 8.78 GW (as of the Lok Sabha reply)
- Near-term target: approximately 22 GW by 2031-32 from projects already under construction
- Long-term target: 100 GWe by 2047, aligned with the "Viksit Bharat @2047" vision and India's Panchamrit climate commitments announced at COP26 (2021), including net-zero by 2070
- India currently operates PHWRs (indigenous 220 MWe and 700 MWe designs) plus imported reactors (e.g., Kudankulam, Russian-origin VVER units) — SMRs represent a new, smaller-footprint addition to this mix
The five-SMR-by-2033 target is an intermediate milestone toward the 100 GWe-by-2047 goal, using smaller, faster-to-build reactors to accelerate capacity addition beyond what large PHWR/LWR projects alone can deliver.
- SMR operational target: at least 5 indigenous units by 2033
- BSMR-200 capacity: 220 MWe; SMR-55 capacity: 55 MWe; HTGCR: up to 5 MWth (hydrogen production)
- Deployment sites: Tarapur, Maharashtra (BSMR-200, SMR-55) and BARC, Vizag (HTGCR)
- IAEA SMR definition: up to 300 MWe per module
- SHANTI Act, 2025: repeals Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010; grants AERB statutory status
- Current India nuclear capacity: 8.78 GW; target ~22 GW by 2031-32; target 100 GWe by 2047
- India's net-zero emissions target: 2070 (announced at COP26, Glasgow, 2021)