AGARTALA / NEW DELHI:
In a decisive push to bulletproof its energy future and upgrade regional infrastructure, the Central Government has announced an aggressive strategy to scale India’s power generation capacity while pouring massive development funds into the Northeast. Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, revealed that the country is tracking to elevate its generation capacity to nearly 300 GW by next year to meet skyrocketing domestic and industrial demand.
The announcement follows a historic peak electricity demand of 270.8 GW recorded on May 21, driven heavily by industrial expansion, surging data centers, and rural electrification.
The 100 GW Nuclear Roadmap by 2047
While thermal and solar energy dominate current expansions, the Centre is positioning nuclear power as the absolute bedrock of India’s long-term energy security. Under the newly outlined framework, India is aiming for a massive ten-fold leap—targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
Key pillars of this atomic energy transition include:
- Public-Private Collaborations: Shifting away from a pure public monopoly, the government is inviting private firms to invest capital and land.
- Bharat Small Reactors (BSR): A massive R&D push to deploy indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) which offer faster, safer, and highly scalable deployment.
- Legislative Overhauls: Amendments to the Atomic Energy Act are being finalized to streamline private sector participation.
Tripura’s ₹1,200 Crore Urban Transformation
On the regional front, the Union Minister alongside Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha reviewed a comprehensive roadmap for the state’s urban and energy development. Tripura is set to receive major infrastructure projects worth ₹1,200 crore within the next two months under the nationwide Urban Challenge Projects Fund. The financing model splits the cost between the Centre (₹300 crore), the State (₹300 crore), and institutional banking (₹600 crore) for revenue-generating public utilities.
Additionally, under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, Tripura is aggressively targeting up to 2 lakh rooftop solar installations by March 2027. The Ministry emphasized that executing structural distribution reforms, eliminating illegal connections, and minimizing aggregate technical losses will remain non-negotiable to sustain the state’s long-term economic growth.