Work underway on 10 new nuclear reactors: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India has introduced major reforms in the nuclear power sector and opened the doors in this segment to the private sector as the country aims to move towards energy independence.Addressing the nation on Independence Day, the prime minister said work is underway on 10 new nuclear reactors as India is moving to increase nuclear power generation capacity by over tenfold by 2047.

"Keeping in mind the future of energy, Bharat is also undertaking major initiatives in nuclear energy," he said. To have an active partnership with the private sector towards achieving this goal, the FY26 Union budget had proposed to bring amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act.

The two Acts were introduced in the context of a state-owned nuclear thrust. The idea now is to encourage private sector participation as the clean energy requirement is set to rise in line with India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision."We are dependent on many countries for our needs for petrol, diesel and gas... It is important to make the country 'atmanirbhar' in energy," he said.The prime minister stressed the importance of energy independence, saying this will be done for the bright future of youth and for the welfare of farmers. "Reform is a continuous process. As time progresses and situation arises, we need to keep reforming," Modi said.While the world debates global warming, India has achieved its target of meeting 50 per cent of its energy needs from clean sources in 2025, five years ahead of timeline. The country's solar power capacity has increased 30 times in 11 years, he added. India is making new dams so that hydro power can be developed and we get clean energy, and investing in green hydrogen mission.