Top India Utility Backs Local Reactors to Meet 2047 Nuclear Goal
(Bloomberg) -- NTPC Ltd., India’s largest power producer, said it would favor domestic reactor technology for its nuclear portfolio, and cautioned against over-dependence on a single innovation or source in order to fend off risks to supply chains.
“India should prioritize control over technology and resources, even if domestic options are 5-10% costlier at initial stage, to avoid the supply chain vulnerabilities currently seen globally,” the state-run company’s Chairman Gurdeep Singh said at a workshop organized by the Power Ministry, according to an official note.
Calls for self-reliance and supply diversification are once again gathering pace in India, as the major importer of oil, gas and fertilizers reels from the energy and commodity disruptions caused by the Iran war. The South Asian nation is among the worst-hit from the squeeze, its pain compounded by a sliding currency, and has taken a series of measures to cushion its economy.
The comments also come after India overhauled its nuclear law to attract investment into a sector that it counts as crucial to meeting its net zero goal by 2070. The country has about 9 gigawatts of nuclear power projects and aims to expand it to 100 gigawatts by 2047, as the new law paves the way for fresh financing from both state-run and private firms.
Most of India’s existing fleet uses locally designed reactors, while the 2-gigawatt Kudankulam plant in the country’s south that’s powered by Russian reactors is the only one using foreign technology.
Talks with other foreign suppliers, including Electricite de France and Westinghouse Electric have continued for years without reaching any final agreement to start project construction.
NTPC’s Singh also pointed to hesitation at provincial levels over nuclear safety as another potential hurdle for expansion.
Companies need states’ consent to acquire land as well as get various local government clearances to start projects. Acceptance of nuclear energy remains inconsistent among the 14 states that NTPC is actively engaging with, necessitating greater public outreach to bring the states on board, the note said, citing Singh.
©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
