Govt Plans to Open Nuclear Sector to Private Players

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (November 27) said the Union government is preparing to open India's nuclear sector to private companies, arguing that the move would bolster the country’s energy security and strengthen its technological capabilities.

Speaking virtually at the inauguration of Skyroot Aerospace’s new rocket manufacturing hub, the Infinity Campus, Modi drew a parallel with earlier reforms in the space industry. The prime minister remarked that the scope of reforms is continuously expanding and highlighted that just as space innovation was opened to the private sector, India is now moving towards opening the nuclear sector as well.

"A strong role for the private sector is being laid in this field, which will create opportunities in small modular reactors, advanced reactors, and nuclear innovation,” he said.

Modi added that this shift would “give new strength to India’s energy security and technological leadership.”

India is pursuing an ambitious target of installing 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047, as part of its Viksit Bharat mission. Now, the government plans to increase private participation in research and development, an area currently closed to joint ventures between PSUs and private firms. To change that, the government is planning to introduce a Bill before the parliament during the upcoming Winter session to amend the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.

Note: The featured image that appears with this article has been changed and republished at 2.05 pm on December 1, 2025. 

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