The IAEA’s Director General commended India’s expanding nuclear sector that began under Dr. Bhabha in 1948. Now a nuclear weapons state with 22 reactors, India leverages Indo-US agreements and indigenous innovation to overcome regulatory, safety, funding, and cyber challenges while advancing next-generation reactor technologies and capitalizing on vast thorium reserves.
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The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) praised India's expanding nuclear sector.
India’s nuclear program was started in 1948 under the leadership of Dr. Homi J. Bhabha; also known as the father of India’s nuclear program.
The government established the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1948 to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes like power generation, medicine, and research.
India conducted its first nuclear test, Smiling Buddha, in 1974 at Pokhran, Rajasthan. It was a peaceful nuclear explosion, but it led to global sanctions.
In 1998, India conducted another set of nuclear tests, Operation Shakti, which made India a nuclear weapons state.
India never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) because it considers it discriminatory. The treaty allows only five countries (US, Russia, China, UK, and France) to have nuclear weapons. India demands a fairer system for all nations. India also refuses to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Nuclear power plants
India has 22 operational nuclear reactors, contributing about 3% to the total electricity generation.
Indo-US Nuclear Deal
The Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement (2008), also known as the 123 Agreement, has ended India’s nuclear isolation. Before this, India faced technology restrictions because it was not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
It allowed India to buy nuclear fuel and technology from countries like Russia, France, and the US.
The regulatory system is slow and bureaucratic, causing project implementation delays, as highlighted in recent studies of the growth pattern of the sector.
Environmental impact fear and safety concerns have generated protests, most prominently against projects such as Jaitapur and Kudankulam, necessitating open communication and community outreach.
The creation and implementation of technologies such as fast breeder reactors and SMRs require high levels of expertise and investment.
Nuclear projects are expensive, with high upfront costs being a challenge to financial viability, requiring innovative funding mechanisms and private sector involvement.
A reliable supply base for uranium, particularly for foreign sources, is still key, with expansion of domestic mining and international cooperation.
With nuclear facilities increasingly linked to digital technologies, there are greater risks of hacking, which require comprehensive safety measures to guard against cyber threats.
India's focus on indigenous technology development, to create self-reliance and export potential, aims to raise the level of global competitiveness.
With 518,000 tonnes of the world's largest thorium reserves, India can utilize these for next-generation breeder reactors, which could generate 358,000 GWe-yrs of electricity, in line with long-term energy plans.
Cooperation with nations such as Russia, France, and the US opens up access to next-generation reactor technologies and uranium imports, as evident in recent deals for SMRs and civil nuclear cooperation.
Small Modular Reactors provide flexibility for deployment in remote locations, lowering infrastructure expenses and improving energy access, with intentions to put 5 into operation by 2033.
Recent policy changes, such as modifications to the Atomic Energy Act of 1962, seek to attract private sector engagement, possibly increasing investment and innovation.
Nuclear power is in line with India's COP26 commitments to reach net zero by 2070, making it a central actor in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and achieving renewable energy targets.
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