Statement by Dr. Ajit Kumar MohantyChairman, Atomic Energy Commission & Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy at the 69th General Conference of IAEA
Mr. President/ Director General Grossi, Excellencies, Ladies, & Gentlemen,
Namaste and Good evening!
It is my great privilege and honour to represent the Government of India in the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency. On behalf of the Government of India, I extend my warmest greetings to all the delegates attending IAEA General Conference.
Mr. President,
I convey our heartiest congratulations to you as well, on your election as the President of the 69th General Conference. We wish you all success in this important role.
As a founding member, India has had a close and longstanding partnership with the IAEA right from its inception. In India, we continue to be guided by the motto of ‘Atoms-in-service-of-the-nation’, which echoes IAEA’s own motto of “Atoms for Peace and Development”. In this regard, I am delighted to share some recent developments in the nuclear sector in India.
In January 2025, the Government of India launched the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat with a target to increase its nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047. To achieve this goal, strategic policy interventions and infrastructure investments are being undertaken, with an emphasis on development and deployment of indigenous nuclear technologies and public-private collaborations.
The government has allocated more than USD 2 billion for Research & Development on Small Modular Reactors with a plan for at least five indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033. To encourage active participation of the private sector in this transformative initiative, the Government of India is also creating an enabling legal framework in the nuclear sector.
Besides the Nuclear Energy Mission, there are many more exciting developments taking place in India in the nuclear sector. During 2024-25, the power plants of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) have achieved a Plant Load Factor of 87 %. For the first time in its operational history, the nuclear power plants of NPCIL have generated 50 billion units in the last financial year.
Our regulator, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board has issued siting consent for the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 1 to 4, which is a green field project being developed by ASHVINI, a JV between NPCIL & NTPC. AERB has also approved fuel loading in the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor in Kalpakkam marking an important milestone in the 2nd stage in our country’s nuclear power program.
Mr. President,
In its pursuit of developing indigenous advanced reactor technologies, our premier research center, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is committed to developing a light water based 200 MWe Bharat SMR, a 55 MWe SMR and a High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor for clean hydrogen production by integrating it with a thermochemical plant.
The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) built by Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) has completed 34 irradiation campaigns at the target power of 40 MWt. The Demonstration Facility for recycling of Fast Reactor Spent Fuel was also successfully operated.
Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) has successfully completed the performance demonstration of Module -2 of PHWR Fuel Fabrication Facility at its Kota plant in Rajasthan with due regulatory approvals.
India being the largest global producer of heavy water, Heavy Water Board (HWB) exported about 130 MT of heavy water to multiple countries. HWB has also set-up the first Electronics-grade Boron-11 Enrichment Facility at Talcher. This state-of-the-art facility enriches B11 to 99.8% purity, suitable for semiconductor applications.
During March this year, IAEA recognized Tata Memorial Hospital under the DAE as a “Rays of Hope” Anchor Center. This milestone highlights India’s leadership in the Global South, showcasing its advanced cancer care expertise and commitment to global health equity.
Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology (BRIT) successfully upgraded ISOMED 2.0 – the only High Intensity Irradiator in the world today with Category II type design that is poised to serve the healthcare industry for terminal sterilization needs using gamma radiation.
Mr. President,
India continues to work actively with the global community in pushing the frontiers of science in mega science projects around the world. Several scientists from various institutes of DAE working on the India-ALICE and India-CMS projects with CERN have figured in the list of recipients of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for outstanding contributions to LHC Run-2 research.
The 18 MeV Medical Cyclotron being built indigenously at Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata along with BARC is in the advance stage of beam testing.
As part of India’s growing prowess in the field of Astronomy, the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) which is Asia’s largest Gamma Ray telescope, has been installed at Hanle, Ladakh to explore gamma-ray sky in the energy range above 20 GeV and was inaugurated in October 2024.
As part of our efforts to strengthen capacity building and skill development in peaceful use of nuclear energy, our Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) continues to expand its outreach. With the latest MoU signed with Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission, more than 17 countries are now part of this unique knowledge partnership initiative of India.
Last month, India also hosted more than 300 students and 140 members from 64 countries at the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy & Astrophysics – IOAA 2025 in Mumbai.
Mr. President,
India firmly believes that ensuring the safety and security of nuclear and radiological materials is a core responsibility of all member states. India affirms its support to the Agency in its resolve to provide a robust, sustainable and visible global nuclear safety and security framework./p
As a major and responsible nuclear power, India stands ready to leverage its expertise for the common good and to work closely with the global community and IAEA to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, both on research and application fronts. We wish the 69th General Conference a grand success.
Thank you and Jai Hind