Clean energy mission receives Rs 42,000 crore boost.
PM Modi inaugurates the Mahi Banswara Nuclear Power Project in Rajasthan, marking a major step toward clean energy and boosting India's nuclear power capacity (Photo: Pinterest)
NEW DELHI: In India, electricity was previously unimaginable without traditional coal and gas, which heavily impacted the environment. Over time, however, the country has become increasingly self-reliant in nuclear power, making significant progress in nuclear power generation. Nuclear power is a prime example of clean energy while also protecting the environment.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while laying the foundation stone for a Rs 42,000 crore nuclear power project in Mahi Banswara, Rajasthan, said that in today's age of technology and industry, development is driven by the power of electricity. "Electricity brings light, speed, progress, connectivity, and global reach. For any country to achieve rapid development in the 21st century, it must increase its power generation," he added. The Modi government is transforming the clean energy mission into a mass movement.
The Mahi Banswara Atomic Power Project (MBRAPP) comprises four indigenous 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) with advanced safety features, also known as IPHWR 700. This plant is a "fleet mode initiative" reflecting the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, bringing cost efficiencies, faster deployment, and consolidated operational expertise.
Currently, India's installed nuclear power capacity comprises 24 reactors with a total capacity of 8,780 MW (excluding RAPS-1, 100 MW, under extended shutdown). Additionally, projects totaling 13,600 MW—including the 500 MW PFBR implemented by BHAVINI—are at various stages of implementation. Upon progressive completion, India's installed nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 22,380 MW by 2031-32.
Nuclear power presently contributes around 3% of the total electricity generated in India. In 2024-25, nuclear power plants produced 56,681 million units of electricity. The two units of the Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu, power plant generate the most electricity, producing 1,000 MW each.
The government has announced an ambitious Nuclear Energy Mission, targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, according to Minister of State for Atomic Energy Dr. Jitendra Singh in Parliament in July 2025.
Beyond electricity generation, nuclear power is used for the propulsion of marine vessels (such as naval ships) and in non-power applications including industrial heating and freshwater production. It is also applied in cancer treatment.
India's first nuclear power plant, the Tarapur Atomic Power Station, was commissioned in Boisar, Maharashtra, in October 1969 with a 160 MWe capacity.
