Islam Times – India has passed new legislation to open its nuclear energy sector to private participation, marking a major shift in the country’s long-standing state-controlled atomic power framework.The lower house of parliament on Wednesday approved the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, which aims to raise nuclear power generation capacity to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2047.
Federal Minister Jitendra Singh told lawmakers that nuclear energy is central to India’s clean-energy transition and long-term development goals.
The law allows private companies to obtain licenses to operate nuclear power plants and removes a controversial supplier liability clause that had long discouraged foreign investment and technology transfers.
It also restructures compensation mechanisms in the event of nuclear accidents, a move seen as making the sector more attractive to global partners.
The SHANTI Bill repeals two existing laws: the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010. Existing liability rules were widely viewed as obstacles to importing nuclear fuel, reactors, and advanced technology.
The legislation aligns with India’s broader energy targets, which include achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030 and at least 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047. Earlier this year, New Delhi allocated $2.35 billion to launch a Nuclear Energy Mission.
Russia’s Rosatom remains a key partner, developing the 6 GW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.
India is also exploring small modular reactors and has held talks with Russia, France, and the United States. Major domestic firms, including NTPC, Tata Power, Adani Power, and Vedanta, have expressed interest in nuclear projects.