What are the bottlenecks in scaling up India's nuclear power capacity? Suggest measures to strengthen the domestic manufacturing ecosystem.

India plans to reach about 22,380 MW of nuclear capacity by 2031–32 and 100 GW by 2047 [2]. That means adding reactors far faster than in the past. Fifty years after BHEL Tiruchi built India's first nuclear steam generator to replace Canadian imports [1], the main constraint is no longer whether India can build reactors but how fast.

Bottlenecks in scaling up

• Specialised manufacturing capacity: Steam generators and headers need nuclear clean rooms, precision machinery and qualified welders [1]. These take years to build, and only a few firms have them.
• Project execution delays: The CAG found that NPCIL projects finished in 2017–22 ran 21–54 months late. Because review-meeting records were not kept, the cause of each delay could not be traced [4].
• Risks of foreign dependence: Kudankulam I & II, built with Russia, started commercial operation 86 and 101 months late, partly because the overseas partner supplied equipment late. Its cost rose from ₹13,171 crore to ₹22,462 crore [3].
• Narrow investor and supplier base: Until recently, nuclear power was a state monopoly. The SHANTI framework (2025) allows private participation because public capacity alone cannot reach 100 GW [7].

Measures to strengthen domestic manufacturing

• Steady bulk demand: Continue fleet-mode ordering. The 10 × 700 MWe programme was expected to give domestic industry orders worth about ₹70,000 crore [5], which lets suppliers plan their investment.
• Standardise the proven design: Build more of the indigenous 700 MWe PHWR, of which three units are now operating [6]. Repeating one design cuts tooling costs and learning time.
• Bring in private manufacturers: Use SHANTI to add component makers and MSME vendors, not just reactor operators [7].
• Skills pipeline: Run certification programmes for nuclear-grade welders and quality-assurance staff, tied to the PSU facilities that train such workers [1].
• Better project governance: Use digital tracking of supply milestones and keep proper review records, as the CAG pointed out [4], so supply bottlenecks can be found and fixed.

Indigenisation has given India a working reactor design and a supply chain that others cannot cut off. Assured orders, private capacity and better project management can now add the speed it lacks. That would let the 100 GW goal advance energy security, SDG 7 (clean energy) and Atmanirbhar Bharat together.