The Minister of the Department of Atomic Energy, Jitendra Singh, stated in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Wednesday that one of the government's key tasks under the Nuclear Energy Mission is to develop and commission at least five indigenous small modular reactors by 2033.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is engaged in the design and development of indigenous Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies, including the 220 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200) and the 55 MW SMR-55 for electricity generation. Furthermore, BARC is developing a High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) with a capacity of up to 5 MW, which can be integrated with a suitable thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production.
Singh emphasized that India is consistently strengthening its nuclear energy ecosystem, focusing on advanced reactor technologies, SMR capabilities, domestic manufacturing potential, private sector participation, and the long-term utilization of the country's abundant thorium reserves. The government has adopted a dual approach to accelerate nuclear power capacity build-up.
This approach includes deploying large indigenous reactors, such as 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and advanced reactor designs at new sites, as well as developing and implementing SMRs at existing facilities, including decommissioning fossil fuel power plants, closing down energy-intensive industrial units, and providing autonomous systems in remote areas.
The Minister also noted the ongoing work of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in advancing the second phase of India's nuclear energy program. IGCAR conducts interdisciplinary scientific research and advanced engineering development for sodium-cooled fast breeder reactors and associated closed fuel cycle facilities—technologies that remain a cornerstone of India's long-term nuclear strategy.
Regarding thorium, Singh stated that India is implementing its three-stage nuclear energy program, based on a closed fuel cycle, to optimize the use of uranium resources and gradually harness the abundant thorium reserves. Thorium, being a fertile material, must be converted into fissile uranium-233 in a nuclear reactor before it can be used for energy generation.
India has already conducted extensive research on thorium utilization. Thorium oxide pellets (Thoria) were used in the initial active zones of operational PHWRs, and Thoria-based fuel was also irradiated in BARC research reactors. Irradiated Thoria rods were processed to obtain uranium-233, which was then fabricated into fuel for the KAMINI reactor at IGCAR in Kalpakkam. Singh added that the Sustainable Harnessing and Development of Nuclear Energy for Transformation of India (SHANTI Act), 2025, has been enacted to ensure broader participation from both public and private entities in the nuclear sector.
