India and France Review EPR Nuclear Reactor Plans, Local Supply Chains and the SHANTI Rules
India's Ministry of Power held talks in New Delhi with EDF, the French state-owned energy company, about using EPR (European Pressurised Reactor) technology in India. The Power Secretary led the Indian side, and EDF's Chairman and CEO led the French side.
The talks covered four things: deploying EPR reactors, India's reforms to its nuclear laws, cooperation on pumped hydro storage (a way of storing electricity using water), and the next steps in the partnership.
EDF said it is building an ecosystem and supply chain inside India for "large-scale localisation". That means getting more reactor parts made by Indian companies. EDF added that an order for several reactors, not just one or two, would give suppliers confidence and bring down costs through economies of scale (cost per unit falls when you make more units).
The Indian side briefed EDF on the Draft SHANTI Rules and Regulations. The Department of Atomic Energy has released them for public comments. The ministry said they provide a quick, time-bound licensing process and allow private and foreign partners to take part in India's nuclear power programme.
The two sides also discussed pumped hydro storage, building on the proposed joint venture between NTPC (India's largest power company) and EDF.
Officials from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of External Affairs, Central Electricity Authority, NTPC and NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited) attended, along with the French Embassy.
SHANTI Act, 2025: Opening India's Nuclear Power Sector
The SHANTI Act, 2025 is India's new main law for nuclear energy. SHANTI stands for Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India. It replaced two older laws: the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. Its biggest change is that private companies can now build, own and run nuclear power plants in India, under a licence and strict safety rules.
The Power Secretary briefed EDF on the Draft SHANTI Rules because foreign reactor makers want legal clarity before they commit. The new Act's graded liability and contract-based supplier recourse remove a major worry that had held back French and other foreign reactor projects in India since 2010.
Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant
The Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant is a planned nuclear power project at Madban village in Ratnagiri district on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. It is planned to have six large reactors of the French EPR design, with a total capacity of about 9,900 MW (6 × 1,650 MW). If built, it would be the largest nuclear power plant in the world by capacity. NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited) is to own and run it, and EDF of France is to supply the reactor technology.
The latest India-France talks were about deploying EPR technology in India, which means the Jaitapur plan. EDF's push for a "sizeable programme with multiple reactors" and a local supply chain fits Jaitapur's six-unit design, and the new SHANTI rules are meant to clear the legal path for it.
Pumped Storage Hydropower
Pumped storage hydropower is a way to store electricity using water and two reservoirs at different heights. When there is extra electricity, it pumps water up to the higher reservoir. When electricity is needed, it lets the water flow back down through turbines to make power. It works like a giant, rechargeable battery made of water.
India and France discussed working together on pumped hydro storage, building on the proposed NTPC-EDF joint venture. As India adds more solar and wind power, storage like this becomes essential, and EDF brings long experience in running such plants.
- Meeting: India's Ministry of Power and EDF (France), New Delhi, 2026
- Topics: EPR deployment, nuclear supply chain localisation, SHANTI regulatory reforms, pumped hydro storage
- SHANTI = Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India; Act passed December 2025, assent 20 December 2025
- Draft SHANTI Rules and Regulations, 2026: released by the Department of Atomic Energy; composite licence; licence within 180 days
- Jaitapur (Ratnagiri, Maharashtra): 6 EPR units, about 9,900 MW planned
- EPR: Generation III+ pressurised water reactor, about 1,650 MW per unit
- India's nuclear capacity: about 8.78 GW (Dec 2025); target 100 GW by 2047
- India-France civil nuclear agreement: 30 September 2008
- Pumped storage target: about 100 GW by 2035-36 (CEA roadmap, January 2026)