India’s federal power minister urged states distant from coal resources to explore establishing nuclear-based power plants, in addition to identifying power utilities that could attract investment to support the rising energy demand.

This year, the Indian government proposed in its federal budget a partnership with private entities to develop small nuclear reactors, aiming to boost electricity generation from sources that do not emit carbon dioxide.

In a government statement, the power minister, Manohar Lal, advised states to consider setting up nuclear power plants at locations where coal-based thermal plants had completed their operational lifespans.

India’s strict nuclear compensation laws have, however, posed challenges in discussions with foreign power plant manufacturers like General Electric and Westinghouse. Currently, with a nuclear capacity of approximately 8 GW, India aims to increase this to 20 GW by 2032.

The minister also called on states to list their power utilities on the stock exchange to secure greater investment in the power sector and to improve transmission infrastructure, which would support additional renewable energy capacity.

India has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and aims to reach 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030.