India’s atomic power capacity has nearly doubled in the past decade, reaching 8,081 MW in 2024, up from 4,780 MW in 2014. Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, credited the growth to both technical expertise and strong political leadership. He highlighted that the capacity added in the past 10 years is equivalent to the progress made in the previous 60 years.
Looking ahead, Dr. Singh projected that India’s atomic power capacity will triple by 2031, reaching 22,480 MW. He also announced a revised electricity distribution formula, which allocates 50% to the home state, 35% to neighboring states, and 15% to the national grid, ensuring a fairer distribution.
Dr. Singh emphasized India’s leadership in peaceful nuclear applications, particularly in healthcare and agriculture. Nuclear energy has been instrumental in developing 70 mutagenic crop varieties and enabling cancer treatments with isotopes. India, holding 21% of the world’s thorium reserves, is also focusing on reducing reliance on uranium. The indigenous Bhavini project, which explores thorium usage, is central to these efforts. While some projects in Tamil Nadu, such as the Tirunelveli project, have faced delays, the Kudankulam and Kalpakkam nuclear plants have made significant progress since 2014.
