India’s leading power producer, NTPC (NTPC.NS), is in discussions with foreign firms, including those from Russia and the U.S., to develop small modular reactors (SMRs), a senior executive revealed on Thursday.
The talks come just days after India decided to open its nuclear energy sector to private investment. SMRs, with their simpler designs and scalable capacity, are seen as a key innovation in nuclear power generation.
“We have spoken to a Russian company that has an operational small modular reactor, and several other firms, including U.S.-based Holtec International Corp, have also approached us,” said Prasenjit Pal, Executive Director and Head of NTPC’s Nuclear Division.
While Pal did not name the Russian company or other U.S. firms, he confirmed that NTPC has sought government approval to proceed with discussions. He also noted that, apart from China and Russia, no other country currently has an operational SMR system.
Holtec did not immediately respond to requests for comment.