Parliament panel flags funding gap in uranium hunt, seeks priority boost for AMDER

A parliamentary panel has called for urgent, priority-based funding support for the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER), warning that underinvestment in uranium exploration could pose long-term risks to India’s nuclear energy ambitions.

In a report tabled in both Houses of Parliament, the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change highlighted a funding shortfall impacting critical exploration activities. It recommended that the full gap of Rs 118.18 crore in AMDER’s capital allocation be restored at the revised estimate stage for 2026–27.

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The panel underscored the long timelines involved in uranium discovery and production, noting that such projects typically take eight to twelve years from initial exploration to operational mining.

It cautioned that any reduction in investment at this stage could create a future supply crunch. “Any reduction in exploration investment today will translate into a fuel supply bottleneck for India's nuclear programme a decade hence,” the report said.

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The committee also stressed that strengthening funding for uranium and rare metal exploration would be key to securing a stable domestic fuel base, aligning with India’s long-term energy security goals.