Indigenous PHWRs Become the Preferred Choice for Private Firms in Nuclear Capacity Expansion

Gist As India gradually opens its tightly regulated civil nuclear sector to private players, early entrants like Adani, Jindal Steel, and NTPC are choosing indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors PHWRs to build initial capacity. This preference stems from the 700 MWe PHWR's established design standards, mature regulatory approval, and a highly indigenised domestic supply chain. For a UPSC aspirant, this development highlights the practical roadmap and regulatory evolution—anchored by the newly drafted SHANTI Act rules—for scaling India's nuclear capacity to meet its ambitious 2047 targets. Background Sector Monopoly: Historically, India's nuclear power generation has been a state monopoly under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 , dominated by the public sector entity Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited NPCIL . Private Entry: To bridge funding gaps and rapidly scale clean energy output, the government is progressively opening the sector to private investment for captive generation and capacity addition, though operations and safety remain strictly regulated. PHWR Technology: A Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor PHWR uses unenriched natural uranium as fuel and heavy water deuterium oxide as both a coolant and a neutron…