Surat: An important panel discussion on “The Next Era of Nuclear Energy” was held under the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference organized in Surat, South Gujarat. In this session held at Auro University, an in-depth brainstorming was done on the development, policy reforms and future direction of India’s nuclear energy sector.
In this session, leaders in the field like Dr. K. N. Vyas, Anil V. Parab, A. P. Samal, Dr. Komal Kapoor, S. K. Malviya and Professor Sunit Singh presented their views. The discussion was moderated by Shubha Raha. In the second session, Jay Vinayak Ojha, Dr. Experts including Kalirajan S., Ramadurai Raghavan, Dr. S. Shamsunder and Vivek Sharma participated.
India aims to expand nuclear power, which currently contributes about 3% of its total power generation capacity, to 100 GW by 2047. The Nuclear Energy Mission and SHANTI Act, 2025 introduced by the Central Government were mentioned as important steps in this direction. The Act promotes private participation to increase investor confidence and strengthen the regulatory framework.
Experts from industry, policy and technology participated in the discussion. They emphasized on solving challenges such as high capital cost, financial constraints, waste management and public acceptability for nuclear projects. Also, they considered new technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and partnerships with the private sector as necessary for the future.
Gujarat’s contribution is also significant. 700 MW indigenous reactors have already been commissioned at Kakrapar, while the process of identifying potential sites for new plants is underway. The state’s energy policy has positioned nuclear energy as a sustainable and reliable option.
The entire discussion proved to be a guide to moving India towards energy security and realizing the dream of Developed India@2047.
