In a pretty groundbreaking move, Maharashtra just signed a deal with Russia’s nuclear giant, ROSATOM, to develop thorium-based Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Yeah, you heard that right—thorium. It’s the first time an Indian state is stepping into the nuclear energy space on its own, something usually handled by the central government.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and it involves Maharashtra State Power Generation Co. Ltd (MAHAGENCO) working with ROSATOM on their thorium-fueled SMR program. The plan?
- Build these compact nuclear reactors right here in Maharashtra
- Make sure they meet India’s strict nuclear safety standards
- And kickstart a “Make in Maharashtra” setup for local manufacturing and assembly
The state’s think tank, MITRA (Maharashtra Institution for Transformation), will help steer the strategy side of things. A joint team from MAHAGENCO, ROSATOM, MITRA, and the Global Technology Alliance will handle the technical and research-heavy lifting. Of course, everything has to pass through the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s (AERB) filters, so no shortcuts here.
Now here’s why this is a big deal—India’s got loads of thorium, but we haven’t really tapped into it. There are zero operational thorium reactors in the country right now. So, this could be a major leap forward in clean, sustainable energy. If it works, we’re not just talking about powering homes—we’re talking about putting India (and Maharashtra in particular) on the nuclear innovation map.
CM Fadnavis summed it up by saying this move fits right into Maharashtra’s vision of being a hub for future-ready, sustainable tech. And honestly, it might just be the start of something
