India is developing indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to expand nuclear power and meet future energy needs.
The government has allocated ₹20,000 crore to develop at least five SMRs by 2033, strengthening India’s nuclear and clean-energy capacity.
Reactor Specifications
- BSMR-200 — 220 MWe capacity; indigenous Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) design
- SMR-55 — 55 MWe capacity; also based on Pressurized Water Reactor design
- HTGCR — capacity up to 5 MWth; generates process heat, couplable with a thermochemical cycle (e.g. copper-chlorine cycle) for hydrogen production; does not generate electricity directly
Approval & Site Status
- BSMR-200 — in-principle approval received; administrative & financial sanction cleared by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC); approval obtained from the Empowered Technology Group (ETG); site approved at Tarapur, Maharashtra
- SMR-55 — in-principle approval received; site approved at Tarapur, Maharashtra
- HTGCR — in-principle approval received; proposed site BARC, Vizag, with siting consent received; Terms of Reference (ToR) for environmental clearance received from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
Legislative Reform
- SHANTI Act, 2025 (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act) enacted to widen participation of government-owned and private entities in the nuclear energy sector for peaceful purposes
- Aims to support the goal of 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047 under Viksit Bharat
- Reforms take effect once the Act is formally notified
Indigenous Technology
- Expertise from indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) leveraged for SMR development
- Advanced Purified Reactor Vessel Alloy (ApuRVA) — special material for reactor pressure vessels, developed indigenously with Indian industry
- Majority of SMR equipment within manufacturing capability of Indian industry, with technological handholding by BARC
Conclusion
India’s SMR programme, backed by a ₹20,000 crore outlay under the Nuclear Energy Mission, targets five indigenous reactors by 2033 through BARC-led design of the BSMR-200, SMR-55, and HTGCR. The SHANTI Act, 2025 opens the sector to private participation, aligning with India’s long-term target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047.
| Important CTC from this article for UPSC Nuclear Energy Mission & SMR programme SHANTI Act, 2025 |