₹7.5 lakh crore private investment likely in nuke sector; 30 GW contribution by 2047: AEC chief Mohanty
Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty announced that India expects ₹7.5 lakh crore in private investment for the nuclear sector by 2047. The initiative aims to add 30 GW of nuclear capacity, supported by the recently enacted SHANTI Act.
Why it matters
This marks a significant policy shift in India's energy strategy, moving away from a purely state-led nuclear model to include private sector participation to meet long-term climate and energy goals.
India’s private sector is expected to invest around ₹7.5 lakh crore and contribute 30 GW to the country’s ambitious target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty said.
The country currently has about 9 GW of installed nuclear power capacity and plans to expand it substantially by 2047, he said.
"Public sector undertaking Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) currently operates 24 reactors. We think private players should also enter the nuclear business and that is why new legislation was enacted," Mr. Mohanty, who is also the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, told PTI in an exclusive interview.
"Five years from now, I expect a couple of private sector players to run reactors. We think that about 30 GW should come from them by 2047. It costs around ₹25 crore to generate 1 MW,” he added.
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