The foundation stone for the 2,800 MWe Mahi Banswara nuclear power plant in Rajasthan will be laid next week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the entry of state-owned NTPC, one of India’s largest integrated power companies, into the nuclear energy sector. The project is a joint venture between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and NTPC Limited, with NTPC holding a 49 per cent stake.

The plant will feature four indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MWe each, spread over slightly more than 1,300 acres on the right bank of the Mahi river, upstream of the Mahi Bajaj Sagar dam. The project, safeguarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is estimated to cost Rs 420 billion.

Once operational, it will become Rajasthan’s second nuclear power facility, following the 2,580 MWe Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) at Rawatbhata, where seven of eight units with 1,880 MWe installed capacity have already been commissioned, and an eighth 700 MWe unit is under construction.

A senior official from the Ministry of Power stated that the Mahi Banswara project will take approximately six and a half years to complete. On NTPC’s nuclear foray, the official noted, “NTPC believes in sustainability…Nuclear is the future of energy. With our energy demand growing, renewable sources alone are insufficient to meet requirements.”

India’s current nuclear capacity stands at 8,180 MW, a fraction of the 229,715 MW total power demand recorded in August, according to National Load Despatch Centre data. The government has set an ambitious target of achieving 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047.

Currently, NPCIL operates all 24 commercial nuclear reactors in India, including two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), 20 PHWRs—including a 100 MW PHWR in Rajasthan—and two 1,000 MW VVER reactors. The government plans to increase nuclear capacity to 22,480 MW by 2031-32 through the construction and commissioning of ten reactors totalling 8,000 MW across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh, with pre-project work underway for ten additional reactors.

India has also granted in-principle approval for a 6 x 1,208 MW nuclear plant at Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, in cooperation with the United States.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the importance of nuclear energy in the 2025-26 budget, announcing the Nuclear Energy Mission to enhance domestic capabilities, encourage private sector participation, and accelerate deployment of advanced nuclear technologies, including Small Modular Reactors.