How a single feasibility study could flip the script on nuclear in India—and why the power sector can’t afford to sit this one out.
India’s power sector just got a signal worth celebrating. NTPC, the country’s largest power producer, has brought in Accenture to study the feasibility of installing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at retired thermal power sites. This is an initiative that dovetails with the nation’s bold target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047.
More than a project announcement, this appears as a statement of intent. For decades, nuclear energy in India has been framed as slow-moving, state-led, and closed to private participation. This latest step, combined with the government’s parallel move to address private sector concerns through proposed amendments to nuclear liability laws, marks a fresh chapter where nuclear could be repositioned as an agile, investable, and climate-critical energy source.
Here’s why this is worth celebrating
Purely from a strategic comms perspective, NTPC’s choice of Accenture sends a signal to the industry: India is not just scaling nuclear, it is doing so with global-standard expertise. In SMRs, India finds a technology that can change the tone of the nuclear conversation: safer, faster to deploy, and suited for repowering old thermal plants.
The “from ash pits to atom power” story is ready-made for the kind of positive sector-wide narrative that boosts confidence, attracts talent, and encourages investment. But stories don’t tell themselves. They need deliberate amplification.
From a regulatory perspective, this move also comes at a time when the government is signalling its intent to bring the private sector into civil nuclear energy. By publicly addressing liability law concerns, policymakers are unlocking a decades-old bottleneck. For stakeholders, whether utilities, investors, or regulators, this is the moment to lean in, because the legal foundations for a broader nuclear market are being laid.
Why Strategic Communications is the missing link
If India wants this moment to catalyse greater nuclear adoption, the announcement can’t just be a one-day headline. It needs to be the opening act of a sustained campaign that:
Builds public trust by reframing nuclear as clean, safe, and modern.
Educates investors on new technologies like SMRs and on changing liability laws.
Engages policymakers to keep reforms and incentives aligned with deployment timelines.
Inspires the sector workforce by presenting nuclear as an innovation-led career path.
Without strategic amplification, such developments risk being seen as “just another feasibility study” rather than a potential turning point in India’s clean energy journey.
So, what is to be done?
This is the time for utilities, EPCs, financiers, and technology providers to start thinking about nuclear not as a distant diversification, but as a viable, near-term growth frontier.
SMRs offer the sector something rare: scalability without the prohibitive timelines and costs of conventional nuclear plants. Pair that with a legal framework that reduces investor risk, and the conditions for growth are aligning.
But conditions alone won’t drive demand. Perception will. And perception is shaped through deliberate, consistent, and multi-stakeholder communication.
Parting Thought
India’s power sector loves talking about solar parks, battery storage, and green hydrogen. But nuclear? It’s often left in the “someday” basket, seen as too slow, too complex, too politically charged.
That mindset is dangerous. And the NTPC–Accenture SMR partnership shakes up to reality. If we, as an industry, treat this like just another feasibility study, we’ll miss the moment when nuclear could reclaim its seat at the clean energy table.
If we believe solar and wind alone can meet our long-term baseload needs, we’re betting on an unproven equation. Nuclear, especially in modular, site-repurposed form, deserves not just a seat at the table, but a louder voice in the room.
This partnership is that voice. The question is, will the industry amplify it… or let it fade into the background noise?
In short, it’s a moment to amplify. Because if the story is told right, it won’t just inform the market, it will expand it.
One response
Why are we assuming that this repurposing of old retired plants will mean deployment of SMRs…????
Does the contract Document say so…??