Government officials said that the alternative strategy to tide over the paucity of funds and ramp up execution capability for new Light Water Reactor based projects hinges on roping in core sector public sector undertakings and implementing projects through joint ventures with state owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.
While a pact with thermal major NTPC Ltd is already in the works and talks are on with both Indian Oil Corporation and National Aluminium Company Ltd, NPCIL has also sounded out other state owned firms. The PSUs will be roped in as junior partners and investors for the joint venture projects on the anvil.
The Atomic Energy Act 1962 requires nuclear power generation to be done by a government company in which at least 51% of shares are held by the Central Government.