Sat Feb 01 23:07:25 IST 2025: ## India Launches ₹20,000 Crore Nuclear Energy Mission Focused on Small Modular Reactors

**New Delhi, February 1, 2025** – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a significant ₹20,000 crore investment in a new ‘Nuclear Energy Mission’ aimed at developing indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The ambitious plan targets the operationalization of at least five SMRs by 2033.

However, a closer examination of the budget reveals no immediate financial allocation for the mission this year. This contrasts with typical budgetary practice for flagship schemes, which usually include at least a nominal allocation in the initial year. The Department of Atomic Energy’s budget for 2025-26 remains largely unchanged from previous years, even falling slightly below spending in 2023-24.

The mission signals a shift towards greater private sector involvement in India’s nuclear energy sector. The government intends to partner with private companies to build and operate Bharat Small Reactors (BSR), a modified version of existing technology, while simultaneously researching and developing the more advanced Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR). This strategy reflects a recognition of limitations in the current government-dominated approach.

This initiative is crucial to achieving India’s goal of 100 GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2047. The government plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act to facilitate this expansion. While the BSRs will initially be built and operated by the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), the government anticipates the private sector will take the lead in developing and operating SMRs in the future. R. Srikanth, a nuclear policy expert, highlights this shift as a key takeaway from the announcement.

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