Gujarat is considering a partnership with Holtec International to establish a small modular reactor manufacturing and research centre, as the Indian state aims to expand its nuclear industry and attract strategic investment.
Holtec International is weighing a plan to build a small modular reactor manufacturing plant and research centre in Gujarat, a move that would deepen the state’s ambitions in nuclear equipment production as India seeks to broaden its atomic energy base.
The proposal emerged during a meeting in New York between Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel and Holtec’s leadership, according to Chemindigest. Patel is on a five-day US visit ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027, and used the talks to pitch the state as a site for a domestic nuclear supply chain. Gujarat’s newly announced Industrial Policy 2026 has named nuclear power equipment, including SMRs, as a priority sector, while LiveMint reported that the policy is designed to attract substantial investment and position the state as a research and development centre.
Holtec is a long-established US nuclear technology company with businesses spanning spent-fuel storage, transport, decommissioning and plant engineering. Industry material on the company says it is also advancing the SMR-300, its pressurised-water small modular reactor design, which underscores why a local manufacturing base could matter if the Gujarat project proceeds.
If developed, the facility would add another layer to India’s push for domestic production in advanced energy technologies. Small modular reactors are attracting interest because they can be deployed in smaller increments than conventional large reactors, which may make them more suitable for phased expansion. Gujarat’s policy also appears to support that strategy, with reports indicating that the state is extending incentives to nuclear equipment makers for the first time and is considering an “ultra mega” category for very large projects that could include nuclear manufacturing.
For Gujarat, the attraction is not only investment but also the possibility of building a wider industrial cluster around nuclear engineering, component supply and specialist skills. For Holtec, the state could offer a platform for localisation in a market that India is still developing, particularly as the country looks to strengthen its long-term nuclear capacity and reduce reliance on imported equipment.
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