Growth of nuclear energy in India: Industrial challenges and prospects

In 2012, 3.62% of electricity generated in India was from nuclear energy (IAEA PRIS, 2013). 20 nuclear power reactors provide 4870 MW of installed capacity. To put this in context, the total electric capacity in India in 2013 was 225,793.10 MWe (CEA, 2013). One stated goal for the future of nuclear energy in India is to increase the total installed capacity to 470 GWe by 2050.1 This amounts to nearly a hundred-fold increase in installed capacity by mid-century. Another set of projections, shown in Table 1, were defined by the Planning Commission in its Integrated Energy Policy Report in 2006. These projections or scenarios called for a dramatic expansion of the program. Can the Indian nuclear industry grow rapidly to meet these targets? And what challenges will it face as it plans for expansion?