The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India's premier, multi-disciplinary nuclear research facility and institution, headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai. It was founded by Homi Jehangir Bhabha as the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) in January 1954. The institution was created to consolidate all research and development activities for nuclear reactors and technology, solving the problem of establishing a self-reliant nuclear program essential for India's long-term energy independence. The AEET was renamed BARC in 1966 after Dr. Bhabha's death.
BARC's core mandate is to sustain the peaceful applications of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation. Its mechanism involves managing all facets of nuclear power, from the theoretical design of reactors and computer modeling to the development and testing of new reactor fuel materials. It also conducts research on spent fuel processing, safe disposal of nuclear waste, and the application of radioisotopes in medicine, agriculture, and industry. The operations of BARC are primarily governed by the Atomic Energy Act of 1962.
BARC operates under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India. It serves as the research backbone for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). A recent change includes the replacement of the original Apsara reactor with the Apsara-Upgraded (Apsara-U) research reactor, which went critical on September 10, 2018. Furthermore, BARC is currently designing and developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), such as the 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200).