SHANTI BILL OPENS DOOR FOR PVT PLAYERS IN NUCLEAR SECTOR

IN a bid to achieve clean energy goals and a target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2047, Parliament has just approved a Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 (SHANTI Bill).

- RAKESH KUMAR @ New Delhi

The bill proposes to repeal and replace the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 ("existing laws"), and to introduce a consolidated legal framework.

The bill now awaits Presidential assent to become an Act.

The main feature of the bill is paving the way for private participation, along with foreign investment, in the nuclear sector. In simple terms, the bill will make it easier for private players such as the Adani Group, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and Tata Power Ltd. to enter India's nuclear sector and contribute to the country's atomic energy development. The bill also paves the way for the regulated usage of nuclear and radiation technologies in areas such as healthcare, food and agriculture, industry, and research.

Why the bill The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, stated in Parliament that the bill seeks to modernise India's nuclear framework in line with contemporary technological, economic, and energy realities, while retaining and strengthening the core safety, security and regulatory safeguards that have been in place since the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.

The minister explained that times have changed and technology has evolved, making it feasible to expand the role of nuclear energy in the power sector. He pointed out that nuclear energy has applications beyond electricity generation, including cancer care, agriculture and industry.

The minister also highlighted that concepts such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Bharat Small Reactors were unimaginable 15 years ago but are now emerging as safe, efficient, and flexible solutions for clean, roundthe-clock power generation.

As of December 2025, India has a total installed nuclear power capacity of 8,780 MW (8.78 GW), which is 3% of total electricity generation in the country.

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