PM Modi Unveils India’s Energy Security Roadmap: Nuclear Power, Hydrogen and Offshore Exploration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday outlined an expansive roadmap for strengthening India’s energy security, with nuclear power, offshore oil exploration, alternative fuels, hydrogen-powered transport and critical minerals emerging as key pillars of the country’s drive towards greater self-reliance.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Modi said energy security had become increasingly important as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and data centres were creating enormous demand for electricity.

“Today, it is difficult to run the new world without energy. Whether it is chips, AI or data centres, we need enormous amounts of electricity. Energy security is the need of the hour,” the Prime Minister said.

Nuclear power at the centre of energy strategy

Modi placed nuclear energy at the heart of India’s long-term energy security strategy. He said the country was working towards achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, as part of efforts to reduce dependence on conventional energy sources and strengthen reliable electricity supplies.

The Prime Minister also announced that India had set a target of operationalising five new nuclear reactors during the current decade.

“This very decade, we will have five new nuclear reactors starting operations. We have set a target to get them operational,” Modi said.

He also highlighted India’s progress in breeder nuclear technology, describing the achievement as a significant step towards greater self-reliance in nuclear fuel.

“This year, India has achieved a significant milestone in breeder nuclear technology. And because of that, we have taken a very big step towards achieving self-reliance in nuclear fuel,” he said.

Offshore exploration gets major push

The Prime Minister also called for a major expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration, linking India’s crude oil dependence to what he described as limitations in the country’s earlier approach to exploring domestic resources.

Modi said nearly 99 per cent of offshore areas that had previously been classified as “no-go” zones had now been opened for exploration.

He said India had effectively avoided exploring resources beneath the sea in the past, but that approach had now changed.

“We are now actively pursuing exploration beneath the sea and making efforts to discover new reserves,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the government had also recently allocated ₹25,000 crore to accelerate offshore exploration and expand the search for domestic energy resources.

Alternative energy and hydrogen gain importance

Modi stressed that India would also need to accelerate the development and adoption of alternative sources of energy. He said the country must pursue alternative energy “with full force” to strengthen its energy security and reduce dependence on conventional fuels.

The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s entry into hydrogen-powered transportation. He said the country had started its first hydrogen-powered train, referring to the indigenous hydrogen-powered train launched on July 17 and named NaMo Green Rail.

The move, he said, represented another step towards diversifying India’s energy sources and adopting cleaner technologies in the transport sector.

Critical minerals emerge as strategic priority

The Prime Minister also linked access to critical minerals with India’s long-term technology and energy security. Critical minerals are increasingly important for sectors ranging from advanced electronics and clean-energy technologies to batteries and modern industrial systems.

By highlighting critical minerals alongside nuclear power, offshore exploration, alternative energy and hydrogen, Modi presented energy security as a broader strategic challenge rather than one limited to crude oil and conventional fuels.

The roadmap outlined from the Red Fort reflects a wider push towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, with the government seeking to strengthen domestic capabilities across the energy and technology sectors.

Modi’s emphasis on nuclear power, domestic hydrocarbon exploration, alternative fuels, hydrogen transport and critical minerals comes at a time when India’s energy requirements are rising alongside its ambitions in artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, digital infrastructure and industrial development.

The Prime Minister’s message was clear: India’s development ambitions will require a reliable, diversified and increasingly self-reliant energy ecosystem. From expanding nuclear capacity and exploring resources beneath the seas to developing alternative fuels and securing critical minerals, the government is positioning energy security as a central pillar of India’s roadmap towards 2047.