India Explores Small Modular Reactors for Defence and Data Centres

India's defence production and data centre ambitions are converging on the same constraint -- reliable power supply.

As demand for reliable, clean, and uninterrupted electricity grows across these strategic sectors a Policy Dialogue was jointly organised by Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) and Finovista, in association with Manthan - an initiative led by the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor this week in New Delhi.

Also read: Experts highlight growing role of SMRs for defence manufacturing and data centre operation

“We cannot have energy transition without nuclear”, said Prof. R. Srikanth, Dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) at the Policy Dialogue focused on Small Modular Reactors for Defence Manufacturing and Data Centre Operation.

In his Welcome Address, Shishir Priyadarshi, President (CRF), highlighted India’s growing future energy requirements, noting that nuclear energy would play an important role in meeting rising industrial and strategic demand. He emphasised the need to address questions of cost, fuel security, regulation, deployment waste management and safety to enable scalable SMR adoption.

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Vimal Kumar, Co-Founder, Finovista, highlighted the potential of SMRs to support reliable and precision-oriented power supply for defence manufacturing, noting that their deployment in emerging defence corridors could prove transformative for mission-critical operations.

In a Special Address, Prasenjit Pal, Former CEO NTPC Parmanu Urja Nigam Ltd., underscored that India’s 100 GW nuclear vision should now be treated as a strategic requirement rather than an aspiration, highlighting nuclear energy’s lower carbon footprint and long-term importance for energy security.

Delivering the Keynote Address, Rajnish Kumar, Chief Operating Officer (COO), National e-Governance Division (NeGD), MeitY, highlighted that reliability, resilience, and sovereignty are emerging requirements for e-governance systems, noting the potential of SMRs to support dependable power supply for critical infrastructure. He emphasised that reliable and diversified power sources are essential to ensuring secure and uninterrupted digital governance.

The moderated panel discussion, chaired by Dr. Debajit Palit, Centre Head, Centre for Climate Change and Energy Transition, CRF, convened experts from nuclear energy, defence manufacturing, digital infrastructure, finance, and public policy. Discussions focused on the role of SMRs in supporting India’s low-carbon transition, strategic energy resilience, and mission-critical infrastructure requirements.

The panel deliberated on several important themes, including the role of nuclear energy in India’s low-carbon transition, with participants highlighting the complementary role of nuclear and renewable energy in addressing rising power demand and intermittency challenges. Discussions also focused on the contribution of nuclear energy to India’s future energy basket, particularly in the context of Viksit Bharat 2047 and expectations of increased reliance on non-fossil fuel-based power generation.Discussions explored the role of SMRs in supporting specialised and mission-critical applications, including defence manufacturing, data centres, and emerging infrastructure settings requiring reliable and adaptable power systems.

The panel highlighted that the challenge is not only about the quantity of power supply, but also the quality of power, including reliability, resilience, and continuity for strategic infrastructure. The discussion further underscored that mission assurance, reliability of power, and resilience are essential for strategic sectors such as data centres and defence manufacturing.

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The panelists, Prof. R. Srikanth, Dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Gautam Ghosh, Chief Engineer, Financial & Commercial Appraisal Division, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Dipakshi Mehandru, Director, Government Affairs, Intel Corporation, Air Commodore Satinder Rehal (Retd.), Founder and Director, PentAD Aerospace Solutions, and Arindam Ghosh, Partner, Nangia & Co LLP, also examined commercial and deployment challenges associated with SMRs, including high tariffs, financing requirements, public awareness, and pathways for reducing costs to enable wider adoption.

At the same time, the need for continued policy attention, regulatory preparedness, and stakeholder engagement was emphasised to support the responsible scaling of SMRs in India.