Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday proposed amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act in the Union Budget 2025.
She further announced that a nuclear energy mission for research and development of small modular reactors with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore will be set up. "At least five indigenously developed small modular reactors will be operationalized by 2033," the FM stated.
The Finance Minister's proposal for amendments in the nuclear energy sector comes as a key part of the government's strategy to set up 100 gigawatt (GW) of nuclear energy capacity by 2047 under the Nuclear Energy Mission.
While presenting the Budget, FM Sitharaman said, "Nuclear energy mission for Viksit Bharat will be launched. Development of at least 100 gigawatt of nuclear energy by 2047 is essential for our energy transition efforts."
"For an active partnership with the private sector towards this goal, amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act will be taken up," she stated.
Commenting on the the much-awaited push for Nuclear Power development in the country, Anujesh Dwivedi, Partner at Deloitte India said, "The announcement of 100 GW Nuclear power generation capacity by 2047 shows clear policy shift towards the choice of nuclear power in the long-term for meeting base load as an alternative to fossil fuel based thermal sources, aligned with the countries 2070 Net Zero ambition."
He further said, "The 20K support for setting-up of 5 SMR projects by 2033 will act as a catalyst for creating the much-needed ecosystem, while the country adds 80 GW of thermal generation capacity by 2032 to meet the sharp growth in electricity demand in the interim."
FM Sitharaman's announcements form an essential part of India's commitments towards clean energy transition, decarbonisation and net zero targets.
