Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI), a subsidiary of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and a joint venture between NPCIL and NTPC Limited (NTPC), will invite bids for a nuclear island engineering, procurement and construction package for Units one to four of the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project. The package is valued at more than Rs 280 bn and covers work for four 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs). The decision marks a major step in the expansion of domestic nuclear capacity.

The tender will cover engineering, manufacturing and supply of major equipment, civil construction, installation, testing and commissioning support for nuclear island systems. It will require firms to handle reactor auxiliaries, containment structures, heat transport systems and associated balance-of-plant interfaces within the nuclear island scope. The contract is among the largest to be issued under India’s indigenous PHWR programme and will demand extensive project management and quality assurance capabilities.

ASHVINI is issuing the invitation to bid as part of the joint venture implementation of the Mahi Banswara project and to advance localisation of critical components. Industry participants are expected to see significant contract opportunities across engineering, heavy manufacturing and construction supply chains. The package is likely to attract domestic and international contractors with prior experience in nuclear EPC work and stringent regulatory compliance records.

The project forms part of a broader government strategy to expand clean baseload generation from nuclear sources. Government data indicate nuclear power supplied 3.1 per cent of electricity in 2024–25 and the country’s installed nuclear capacity stood at 8.78 GW. Authorities aim to raise capacity to 22.38 GW by 2031–32 through commissioning indigenous 700 MW PHWRs and 1,000 MW reactors developed under international cooperation, strengthening energy security and manufacturing capabilities.