Lok Sabha Question No. 3062 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Nuclear Energy Mission
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri P P Chaudhary, Shri Alok Sharma, Dr. K Sudhakar, Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO -3062 ANSWERED ON 11/03/2026

## NUCLEAR ENERGY MISSION

3062.   SHRI P P CHAUDHARY SHRI ALOK SHARMA DR. K SUDHAKAR SMT. MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI DR. SANJAY JAISWAL SHRI BIBHU PRASAD TARAI

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) the details of progress under Nuclear Energy Mission including the budgetary allocation made for design, development and deployment of indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMR);
- (b) the details of the Research and Development (R&D) milestones achieved and private sector partnerships established; and
- (c) whether  the  Department  has  assessed  timeline  for  first  SMR  prototype  and  potential capacity addition towards 100GW nuclear target by 2047 and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Under the Nuclear Energy Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025 -26,  a  total budgetary  pr ovision  of  ₹20,000  crore  has  been  made  for  the  research,  design, development,  and  deployment  of  Small  Modular  Reactors  (SMRs).  Bhabha  Atomic Research Centre (BARC), a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has undertaken design and development works on SMRs namely,
- (i) 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200),
- (ii) 55 MWe Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55), and
- (iii) Up  to  5  MWth  High  temperature  gas  cooled  reactor  meant  for  hydrogen generation.

The lead units of these SMRs will be established at DAE sites for technology demonstration.

The  estimated  utilisation  of  the  allocated  funds  by  BARC  toward  setting  up  SMRs  is mentioned below:

| Reactor                                                                |   Cost Outlay (Rs Cr.) |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|
| Development and Construction of BSMR-200                               |                   5960 |
| Development and Construction of SMR-55 (2 units)                       |                   7000 |
| Design and construction of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) |                    320 |
| Design, engineering &development works for new reactors                |                    800 |
| Civil and General Infrastructure Development for reactors complex      |                    452 |

The progress of these SMRs is as follows;

- (i) BSMR-200:  AEC  in-principle  approval  has  been  received  for  the  project. Proposal  for  administrative  &  financial  sanction  is  cleared  by  Atomic  Energy Commission (AEC) for submission of the proposal to the Cabinet Committee.
- (ii) SMR-55: In-principle approval has been received for the project.
- (iii) HTGCR: In-principle approval has been received for the project. Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared. Siting consent has been received and Terms of Reference (ToR) for obtaining environmental clearances has been received from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
- (b) The  special  material  called  'Advanced  Purified  Reactor  Vessel  Alloy  (ApuRVA)  and technology for forgings for reactor pressure vessels of BSMR-200 and SMR-55 has been developed indigenously in collaboration with  Indian  Industries.  The control rod drive mechanism has also been developed in-house. Necessary technology for deployment of these reactors is available in the country. Majority of equipment are within manufacturing capability of Indian Industries with technological handholding by BARC. Therefore, Indian industries will be engaged in manufacturing of equipment.
- (c) Bharat  Small  Modular  Reactor  (BSMR)  is  being  jointly  designed  and  developed  by BARC  and  Nuclear  Power  Corporation  of  India  Limited  (NPCIL),  a  Govt.  of  India enterprise  under  DAE.  Estimated  time  for  construction  of  BSMR  is  60  to  72  months from receipt of administrative & financial approval.

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