From 180 to 81 Days: NFC Accelerates 700 MWe Nuclear Tube Manufacturing
Hyderabad, October 1 2026: India’s nuclear manufacturing ecosystem has taken another step forward in building domestic capability. Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), a Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) industrial unit in Hyderabad, has manufactured and supplied the 12th set of Steam Generator (SG) tubes for indigenous 700 MWe nuclear reactors in 81 days.
This marks a major reduction in manufacturing time. The cycle has come down from the initial 180 days to 81 days. The improvement reflects sustained gains in productivity, material recovery and quality.
The consignment was flagged off by Praveen Bhatt, Vice President & Head of Nuclear Business, Larsen & Toubro, in the presence of Dr Komal Kapoor, Chairman & Chief Executive, NFC.
SG tubes are critical components of India’s indigenous 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) fleet programme. NFC manufactures Alloy-800 steam-generator tubing for these reactors.
Production of complete tube sets is a specialised nuclear manufacturing activity. It involves thousands of tubes and stringent inspection and testing requirements. Latest milestone is significant not only because of the faster production cycle. It also highlights the continued development of India’s domestic nuclear supply chain.
In September 2025, NFC announced the production of its eighth set of SG tubes, with the cycle time then at about three months. The latest 81-day cycle shows the continued improvement in manufacturing performance.
Achievement comes as India expands its fleet of indigenous 700 MWe PHWRs. Larsen & Toubro, which is involved in manufacturing major steam-generator equipment for the programme, has also reported multiple early dispatches of 700 MWe steam generators. These developments point to growing manufacturing capacity across India’s nuclear supply chain.
For India’s nuclear industry, the shift from earlier dependence on imports to an indigenous supply capability for critical SG tubing is an important step towards nuclear manufacturing self-reliance. Shorter production cycle also strengthens the domestic supply chain’s ability to support larger reactor construction programmes.
The 81-day milestone is therefore more than a reduction in manufacturing time. It reflects the growing maturity, repeatability and capacity of India’s nuclear component manufacturing ecosystem.
