Bharat Small Reactors (BSR)

Published on 21 Mar 2025

• In the 2024-25 budget, the Union government announced a partnership with the private sector to establish Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs).

• These Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with outputs under 300 MW (according to the International Atomic Energy Agency), are designed for enhanced safety by virtue of having fewer operating parts.

• Research is ongoing at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) indicates that the Super-Earth exoplanet LHS 1140b has a temperature of 68°F, potentially allowing surface liquid water.

• A reactor at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam will be re-engineered as the first BSR, with plans to set up BSRs close to consumption sites.

Keywords:

Bharat Small Reactors energy nuclear energy nuclear reactor Nuclear doctrine Conventional energy