Key facts
- PIB signals new phase in India's civilian nuclear energy programme
- India targets 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047
- Programme encompasses domestic reactors and international partnerships
- Nuclear power seen as key baseload source alongside renewables
India has taken a significant new step in its civilian nuclear energy programme, according to a Press Information Bureau release that describes the development as opening "a new chapter" in the country's nuclear journey. While the PIB announcement signals forward momentum, it arrives in the context of India's broader push to dramatically scale up nuclear power capacity as a pillar of its clean energy transition.
The Indian government has set a target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, a figure that would require a dramatic acceleration from the country's current installed base. Achieving this will demand both the faster commissioning of domestically developed pressurised heavy water reactors and the successful deployment of advanced technologies, including thorium-based reactors that leverage India's abundant thorium reserves.
India's nuclear programme sits at the intersection of energy security, climate commitments, and strategic autonomy. The country is one of the few in the world with a fully indigenous nuclear fuel cycle, and recent years have seen renewed international interest in partnerships — including with France, the United States, and Russia — to accelerate reactor deployment.
For everyday Indians, the significance is tangible: nuclear power provides stable, round-the-clock baseload electricity that renewable sources like solar and wind cannot guarantee without large-scale storage. Expanding nuclear capacity is seen as essential to keeping India's grid reliable as electrification deepens across industry, transport, and households.