Police patrol on a beach near Kudankulam nuclear power project in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Sept 12, 2012.NEW DELHI – India is considering overturning a ban on foreign investment in its nuclear power industry and allowing greater participation by domestic private firms, two government sources told Reuters, as part of a push for cleaner energy.
The panel has recommended changes to the act and to India's foreign investment policies so that both domestic and foreign private companies can complement nuclear power generation by public companies. The Department of Atomic Energy, which works directly under the prime minister, and Niti Aaayog did not respond to emails and messages seeking comment.
In the same month, the atomic energy department held closed-door consultations with domestic and global industry players who showed significant interest, one of the officials said. The government panel has also recommended replacing old coal-based plants with SMRs, amid a proposal to amend its electricity policy to not add any new coal-fired power plants, sources have told Reuters.