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Maharashtra is set to build India's first nuclear power plants utilizing thorium, with one plant generating 1,540 megawatts and another 440 megawatts. These plants could provide electricity at approximately three and a half rupees per unit, promoting affordability and environmental sustainability.

Thorium, a naturally occurring metal, offers advantages over uranium, including increased safety due to lower operating pressures and the production of significantly less long-lasting radioactive waste. India's vast thorium deposits, mainly found in Kerala and Odisha, could lead to energy independence.

Although thorium reactors require initial uranium or plutonium to initiate operations, they present a lower risk for nuclear proliferation. India's development of thorium technology began in the 1950s, with ongoing research and testing aimed at commercial viability. No large-scale thorium reactors currently exist globally, but China's recent advancements in this area position India to potentially lead in thorium energy.