India's Nuclear Power Expansion Program

The Department of Atomic Energy provided a comprehensive update on India's nuclear power capacity expansion through a parliamentary response. Currently, there are twenty nuclear power reactors under implementation, comprising ten reactors under construction and ten reactors under pre-project activities, representing significant infrastructure development in the energy sector.

Project Details and Investment

The projects under construction/commissioning include: RAPP-8 at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan (1 × 700 MW, ₹22,924 crore combined cost for RAPP-7 & 8); KKNPP-3&4 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu (2 × 1000 MW, ₹68,893 crore); KKNPP-5&6 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu (2 × 1000 MW, ₹69,437 crore); PFBR at an unspecified location (1 × 500 MW, ₹8,181 crore); GHAVP-1&2 at Gorakhpur, Haryana (2 × 700 MW, ₹20,594 crore); and KAIGA-5&6 at Kaiga, Karnataka (2 × 700 MW, ₹21,500 crore).

The pre-project activities include: GHAVP-3&4 at Gorakhpur, Haryana (2 × 700 MW, ₹21,500 crore); Chutka-1&2 at Chutka, Madhya Pradesh (2 × 700 MW, ₹21,500 crore); Mahi Banswara-1&2 and Mahi Banswara-3&4 at Mahi Banswara, Rajasthan (4 × 700 MW total, ₹43,000 crore combined); and FBR-1&2 at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu (2 × 500 MW, cost under estimation).

The total capacity under implementation amounts to 15,900 MW with approved costs totaling approximately ₹2.46 lakh crore, excluding the Kalpakkam FBR project whose costs are still being estimated.

Employment Generation

During peak construction, each project is estimated to employ around 8,000 persons following a bell curve distribution. Once operational, each twin-unit station is estimated to provide both direct and indirect employment to about 2,000 persons. Specifically for the FBR project, about 650 direct employment positions and 3,600 indirect employment positions are estimated.

Safety and Regulatory Framework

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) maintains a robust regulatory mechanism with safety reviews at multiple levels. Nuclear power plants are continuously monitored for safety with highest priority accorded to safety in all aspects including siting, design, construction, commissioning, and operation. The plants are designed adopting safety principles of redundancy, diversity, and fail-safe design features following an overlapping defence-in-depth approach in line with AERB codes and guides.

Medical Innovation

Under new initiatives in medical applications of radioisotopes, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) have collaboratively developed "90Y-BhabhaSphere," an Indian version of expensive imported radioactive beads (microspheres) used for treating inoperable liver tumors through radio-embolization. The product has passed all safety and quality tests and received official approval for medical use from the Radiopharmaceutical Committee (RPC). It is now being produced and sold domestically by the Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology (BRIT), BARC.

This information was provided by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on July 30, 2026.