One-fifth of India's energy consumption is from electricity.
By June 2025, India’s electricity generation capacity hit 476 GW, with around half coming from non-fossil fuel sources.
Nuclear power is considered low-carbon but not truly renewable, since it relies on consuming fissile materials as fuel.
Solar at 111 GW is now larger than wind and large hydro combined, which reflects how dramatically India's solar buildout has accelerated. And nuclear at 8.8 GW is a rounding footnote at the moment — less than bioenergy — though India has significant expansion plans.
India’s first nuclear power reactor began operations in 1969 in Tarapur.
India is currently at Stage 2 of its planned three stage nuclear power program that Homi Bhabha outlined in 1954.
Stage 1: Convert uranium into plutonium
Natural uranium has very little fissile U-235. In Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR), U-235 undergoes fission to produce energy, while the abundant U-238 absorbs neutrons and converts into plutonium-239 (Pu-239).
You generate power and create fissile material for the next stage.
Examples: Rajasthan Atomic Power Station, Kakrapar Atomic Power Station, Narora etc
Stage 2: Breed more fuel using fast neutrons
Fast breeder reactors use Pu-239 as fuel. When it fissions, it releases high-energy neutrons that convert surrounding U-238 or thorium into more fissile material (Pu-239 or U-233).
Net effect: you create more fuel than you consume (breeding).
Example: Kalpakkam Fast Breeder Test Reactor (achieved criticality in April 2026)
Stage 3: Thorium to Uranium-233 cycle
Thorium-232 is not fissile, but it absorbs a neutron → becomes Uranium-233, which can sustain a chain reaction. This enables long-term energy using India’s vast thorium reserves.
Example: Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (planned)
In one line: Uranium → Plutonium → Thorium → U-233 → Sustainable nuclear fuel cycle
The Nuclear Power Corporation (NPCIL) currently oversees 24 nuclear power plants with a total installed capacity of 8,780 MW.
The two oldest are Boiling Water Reactors (BWR), the two at Kudankulam are Russian-designed VVERs (pressurised water reactors or PWR), and the rest are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR).
Back in 2017, the government approved plans and funding to build ten 700 MW reactors in fleet mode, but construction hasn’t started yet. The idea behind fleet mode was to simplify production and cut costs through economies of scale.
Three other sites — Jaitapur in Maharashtra, set to have six 1,650 MW reactors using a French (EDF) design, and Mithi Virdi in Gujarat and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh, each planned for six 1,000 MW reactors with Westinghouse-Toshiba and GE-Hitachi designs — have been on the table for over a decade.
In April 2026, the 500-MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam reached criticality, marking a major milestone in nuclear power. Criticality means the nuclear chain reaction inside the reactor has become steady and self-sustaining while breeder refers to its ability to generate more fissile fuel than it uses. This reactor produces more plutonium than it consumes, paving the way for future thorium-based energy from India’s vast reserves.
This is a significant development because India has only 1-2% of the world's uranium reserves but 25% of the world's thorium - the single largest national reserve on Earth.
The government has allocated ₹20,000 crore to research and develop five indigenous models of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) of 5 MW, 55 MW and 200 MW capacity.
Because nuclear power plants have high upfront costs but low operating expenses over their long 60-year lifespan, finding the right financing model is essential.