NTPC to Commence Work on Rajasthan Nuclear Power Facility Next Month

26 Aug 2025

Marking its foray into the nuclear energy sector, state-owned power generator NTPC Ltd will lay the foundation stone next month for its 2,800 MW nuclear power project in Banswara, Rajasthan. The project will comprise four Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), each with a capacity of 700 MW.

“We’ve made a well-considered decision to pursue nuclear energy aggressively. Our target is to add 30 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047,” said NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh at a summit. “The foundation stone for our joint venture project with NPCIL is expected to be laid as early as next month; it’s that imminent,” he added.

NTPC is planning to develop nuclear power projects through both its existing joint venture with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd (ASVINI), as well as independently. One such project, the Mahi Banswara nuclear power plant, is being implemented under the ASVINI JV, with NTPC holding a 49% stake.

The first unit of the Rajasthan project is scheduled for commissioning in 2031, with the entire plant expected to be operational by 2036. “By then, we will have initiated several other projects as well. We are currently in discussions with Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), L&T, EDF, Rosatom, Holtec, and a few other international consultants,” Singh said. NTPC is actively seeking partnerships with technology and service providers and is evaluating multiple sites across the country.

India currently operates with an installed nuclear power capacity of 8,800 MW and has set an ambitious target to expand this to 200,000 MW (200 GW) by 2047. In a significant step toward achieving this goal, the government earmarked approximately ?20,000 crore in the last Union Budget to support the expansion and modernisation of the nuclear energy sector.