Reliance to set up nuclear reactors under new govt policy: Mukesh Ambani

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani on Tuesday said the company will develop clean and green energy in Assam, including nuclear energy.

"Our priority is to make Assam a hub for clean and green energy. This will include nuclear energy, in line with the government's new policy to invite private participation in the nuclear industry," Ambani said at Advantage Assam 2.0 - Investment and Infrastructure Summit 2025.

The announcement comes days after Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) invited Request for Proposals (RFP) from Indian industries for setting up 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors (BSR) for captive use, paving the way for private participation in nuclear energy generation.

India plans nuclear energy to have a significant share in the electricity mix of India by the year 2047. As a medium-term target, the plan is to triple nuclear power generation capacity by 2030 from the current 8.1 gigawatts (GW).

Currently, state-run NPCIL is the sole authority in India that is allowed to set up and run civil nuclear plants. BSRs are 220 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) with safety and performance records and are compact and tailored for captive use. Compared to large nuclear plants, BSRs offer flexibility in siting and deployment, less construction timelines and cost-effective. Globally, the trend is towards setting up such small modular reactors (SMRs).

In the Union Budget 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman opened up India's nuclear power sector to the private sector. Sitharaman announced allowing BSRs with private capital, within the existing legal framework and approved business models. The last date for receipt of the Request for Proposal proposal is March 31, 2025. The projects are to be constructed by the private player under the supervision and control of the NPCIL, and on completion, the asset will be transferred to NPCIL for operation under a long-term comprehensive agreement.

In his speech at the Assam investment summit, Ambani said Reliance will more than quadruple its investments in Assam from ₹12,000 crore to ₹50,000 crore over the next five years. RIL will install high-performance computing infrastructure and establish an AI-ready data centre in Assam, he said. "Reliance will build two world class hubs of compress biogas and CBG over wastelands in Assam. This will produce 8 lakh tonnes of clean biogas annually, enough to fuel 2 lakh passenger cars every day," said Ambani.