Hyderabad-based infrastructure giant Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) has secured an order worth ₹12,800 crore from the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to construct two 700 MWe nuclear reactors in Karnataka.
This marks the largest-ever order placed by NPCIL and represents MEIL’s first major entry into the nuclear energy sector.
The formal handover of the order took place at NPCIL’s headquarters in Mumbai, where it was presented to MEIL Projects Director, Ch P Subbaiah, and his team.
For the first time, NPCIL employed the Quality-cum-Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) method to award this project—striking a careful balance between quality and cost. Competing against industry giants such as BHEL and L&T, MEIL was selected based on its robust technical proposal and competitive pricing.
“This project goes beyond engineering. It’s about contributing to a stronger, self-reliant India. For MEIL, it’s a meaningful leap into a sector that plays a key role in powering the nation’s growth story,” said Subbaiah.
MEIL is one of India’s leading infrastructure firms, with a diverse portfolio across sectors including power, water, hydrocarbons, irrigation, oil and rigs, defence, transport, compressed gas distribution, electric mobility—and now, nuclear energy.
In December last year, NPCIL invited ‘Requests for Proposal’ from Indian companies to establish 220 MW Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) captive power plants—marking the first time the nuclear sector has been opened up to Indian private players.
Under the proposal, companies are required to finance the entire construction cost of the nuclear power plants, which will be built under NPCIL’s supervision. These firms will be the sole users of the electricity generated, although the operational control of the plants will eventually be transferred to NPCIL.
The RFP followed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget announcement five months earlier, in which she declared that the nuclear sector would be opened to private firms.
The move allows private entities to construct small nuclear reactors and engage in research on small modular reactors in partnership with the government.
India has, over the years, developed significant expertise in 220 MW pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), with NPCIL currently operating 14 such units.
BSRs are compact 220 MW PHWRs known for their outstanding safety and performance records, specifically designed for captive usage.
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