India's Medical Radioisotope Production and Supply Status 2021-2026
The Department of Atomic Energy provided a comprehensive overview of India's production, import, and supply status of critical medical radioisotopes in response to a parliamentary question. Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), Iodine-131 (I-131), and Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) represent the most important reactor-produced medical radioisotopes, accounting for nearly 90% of all Nuclear Medicine applications in India. These isotopes are produced at regular intervals, typically weekly or fortnightly, in the Dhruva reactor at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) due to their relatively short half-lives.
Production Capacity and Output
Each radioisotope has a production capacity of 50 Ci per batch or week. The actual production data shows significant variation across the five-year period. Lu-177 production increased steadily from 473 Ci in 2021-22 to 976 Ci in 2025-26. Mo-99 (technetium-99m generator) production showed volatility, dropping to 268 Ci in 2023-24 from 693 Ci in 2022-23, before recovering to 550 Ci in 2025-26. I-131 production remained relatively stable, ranging from 623 Ci to 813 Ci across the five years.
Import Dependencies
During maintenance shutdowns or technical unavailability of reactor/radiochemical processing facilities, India relies on imports from international suppliers. The import data reveals evolving dependency patterns: Lu-177 imports began only in 2024-25 with 10 Ci from Russia, escalating to 136 Ci from Russia in 2025-26. Mo-99 imports were substantial throughout the period, reaching 516 Ci in 2025-26 sourced from Belgium and Russia, compared to 460 Ci from Australia and Russia in 2021-22. I-131 imports showed intermittent needs, with 219 Ci from Poland and South Africa in 2021-22, no imports in 2022-23 and 2023-24, then 174 Ci from Poland and South Africa in 2024-25, and 421 Ci from Russia, South Africa, and Belgium in 2025-26.
Supply Shortfalls
The Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology (BRIT) normally supplies approximately 90% of confirmed orders during normal operations. However, unforeseen shutdowns and technical issues have caused supply shortfalls. Mo-99 experienced the most significant disruptions with 13 batches canceled in 2023-24 and 19 batches in 2024-25, though no shortfalls occurred in 2025-26. I-131 faced 10 batch cancellations in 2024-25 and 3 batches in 2025-26. Lu-177 shortfalls increased to 7 batches in 2024-25 before improving to 3 batches in 2025-26.
Future Capacity Expansion
BARC has obtained administrative and financial sanction for the "Engineering and Construction of Isotope Production Reactor" project. This new facility is expected to commence production around 2035 with a significantly enhanced capacity of 0.5 million Curie (0.5 MCi) for radio-isotope production, which represents a substantial expansion from current capabilities.