Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is the Government of India enterprise responsible for implementing and operating civilian nuclear power projects for electricity generation. Its mandate covers the nuclear power plant life cycle, from site selection and design to construction, operation and eventual decommissioning.

Institutional and legal basis

NPCIL was incorporated in 1987 as a public sector company wholly owned by the Government of India. It functions under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy and implements government nuclear power programmes within the framework of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.

Core mandate in nuclear generation

• NPCIL undertakes site selection, design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of nuclear power reactors.
• It manages renovation, modernisation, safety upgrades and plant life extension to sustain electricity generation from existing stations.
• Its responsibilities also cover operational radioactive waste management and the eventual decommissioning of nuclear power plants.
• It develops technical and project-management capabilities needed for the safe and economically viable expansion of nuclear electricity.

Position in nuclear governance

NPCIL is principally the project implementer and plant operator, not the safety regulator. Nuclear and radiation safety oversight is exercised by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, while broad policy and programme direction rests with the Department of Atomic Energy.