India’s SHANTI Bill represents the most significant modernisation of the country’s nuclear framework since Independence, aligning energy policy with the scale of India’s climate, development and industrial ambitions. By consolidating legacy laws and opening the sector to new forms of investment and partnership, the legislation seeks to accelerate the deployment of clean, reliable nuclear power at a moment when energy security and decarbonisation are central national priorities.
For decades, India’s nuclear programme operated under a tightly state-led model. Public sector entities such as NPCIL built and operated reactors under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, while the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 reflected India’s hard-earned insistence on accountability shaped by historical industrial disasters. That architecture ensured caution and control—but it also constrained scale.
The SHANTI Bill signals a confident evolution. By replacing older statutes with a single, integrated framework, it enables private and foreign-backed participation across construction, ownership, operation and decommissioning, while preserving sovereign control over strategic domains such as weapons, enrichment and reprocessing. The result is a more flexible system designed to mobilise capital, technology and expertise commensurate with India’s ambitions.
The government’s objective is clear. Nuclear capacity is expected to rise from about 8 GW today to 100 GW by 2047, supporting India’s broader commitments of 500 GW of non-fossil power by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Public investment alone cannot achieve this scale. The Nuclear Energy Mission, backed by roughly $2.35 billion, provides a foundation, but long-term success depends on attracting private finance and international collaboration.
A key reform under SHANTI concerns liability. The earlier framework, while principled, was globally atypical and had discouraged supplier participation. By aligning India’s regime more closely with international nuclear liability norms and placing primary responsibility with plant operators, the new law reduces uncertainty and makes India a more attractive destination for advanced reactor technologies. Importantly, the overall liability cap remains in place, ensuring continuity and predictability while the sector expands.
This policy clarity arrives as major Indian enterprises step forward to anchor the next phase of nuclear growth. NTPC has articulated plans for up to 30 GW of nuclear capacity, marking a decisive shift by a coal-heavy utility towards low-carbon baseload power. Leading conglomerates such as Tata Power, Adani Power and Vedanta are also exploring nuclear investments, reflecting growing confidence in the sector’s long-term role in India’s energy mix.
These developments strengthen India’s energy transition. Nuclear power offers firm, dispatchable electricity that complements solar and wind, reducing dependence on fossil fuels while supporting industrial growth and urbanisation. As India’s electricity demand rises sharply over the coming decades, nuclear provides stability that variable renewables alone cannot deliver.
The Bill also enhances India’s geopolitical and technological options. Existing cooperation with Russia at Kudankulam demonstrates the benefits of long-term nuclear partnerships, and the new framework makes it easier to deepen engagement with France, the United States and other advanced nuclear economies. In parallel, interest in small modular reactors opens pathways for innovation, industrial applications and power generation in regions where large plants may not be practical.
As with any sector involving long-lived infrastructure and advanced technology, governance and trust will be essential. The success of SHANTI will rest not only on investment flows, but also on robust regulation, transparent oversight and continuous institutional strengthening. As India’s nuclear regulator acquires clearer statutory footing, there is an opportunity to embed best-in-class safety practices, public engagement mechanisms and long-term waste management planning.
Energy transitions are ultimately national projects that balance growth, security and public confidence. The SHANTI Bill provides a platform for India to scale nuclear power rapidly while modernising its legal and institutional architecture. With thoughtful implementation, parliamentary engagement and regulatory vigilance, it can help ensure that India’s nuclear expansion is not only fast and clean, but also durable, trusted and aligned with the country’s democratic and developmental values.
India’s bet on nuclear power is a strategic one. SHANTI reflects the confidence of a country ready to move from caution to scale—while continuing to refine the safeguards that make such ambition sustainable.
