New Delhi, Aug. 4 -- As India's energy transition gathers pace, nuclear power is being positioned by its champions as the anchor of a decarbonized power grid capable of supporting economic growth. The government is aiming for 100 gigawatts (GW) of capacity by 2047, up from 8.2GW today, with supporters of nuclear power projecting it as the backbone of our transition to clean energy. Yet, as the announcement-heavy and progress-light decades behind us show, translating this vision into reality is a tough test.

Undeniably, nuclear power has virtues unmatched by rival technologies. Capacity factors typically exceed 80%, delivering electricity untroubled by monsoons or dust storms. The land footprint is modest compared with solar or wind insta...