NPCIL gets sole proposal from Hindalco for Bharat Small Reactors

New Delhi: Aluminium and copper maker Hindalco Industries Ltd is the only company to have submitted a proposal to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the state-run power producer's 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs), people aware of the development said.

Apart from the Aditya Birla Group company, Jindal Steel, Tata Power and Reliance Industries had also initially sought tentative project documents. JSW Energy and Adani Power had submitted documents for non-disclosure agreements for data, according to NPCIL's statement in September last year.

In the pre-proposal meeting held in February 2025, delegates from 27 industries participated. By April 2025, NPCIL received 700 queries. The number of reactors to be set up under the arrangement with Hindalco would depend on the sites selected and provided by it after which an agreement would be signed, the people said.


Hindalco and NPCIL did not respond to queries sent by ET till press time Monday.

The request for proposal is aimed at setting up and operating nuclear reactors for industries with large clean electricity requirements for their captive consumption.

NPCIL issued the request for proposal towards the end of December 2024, prior to the promulgation of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act in December 2025. The deadline to submit proposals was extended till March 31, 2026, in the wake of policy developments in the sector and requests from companies. As per the request for proposal, NPCIL would build and operate reactors for companies for a fee. Under the proposed business model, the entire funding required for capital expenditure and operating expenditure would be borne by the user of electricity.

The plan involves private entities providing land, cooling water and capital. NPCIL will handle design, quality assurance and operation and maintenance. The company setting up a BSR will be entitled to all the electricity generated by the plant after its internal consumption.

The proposed model by NPCIL allows industries to finance and develop captive nuclear plants, while NPCIL supervises construction and assumes ownership for operation at a nominal ₹1 transfer value. Users bear all project, fuel, operating, waste management and decommissioning costs, and pay NPCIL an expertise fee linked to electricity generation.

BSRs are 220 MW pressurised heavy water reactors with a proven safety and performance record. These reactors are being upgraded to reduce land requirements, making them suitable for deployment near industries such as steel, aluminium and metals, serving as captive power plants to support decarbonisation.