India Allows Private Firms to Operate Nuclear Power Plants
The South Asian nation's lower parliamentary chamber approved the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, marking a seismic shift in the country's energy infrastructure strategy.
"The world is moving towards clean energy," federal minister Jitendra Singh declared to lawmakers. "We too have set a target of 100 GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2047."
The transformative legislation authorizes private operators to run nuclear facilities and eliminates a controversial liability provision that previously held fuel and technology suppliers accountable. It also restructures operator compensation requirements following accidents, according to media.
Existing liability frameworks had effectively blocked imports of nuclear equipment and expertise from international suppliers, creating a bottleneck in India's atomic ambitions.
The bill dismantles two foundational statutes—the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010—replacing them with a privatization-friendly regulatory structure.
Massive Clean Energy Blueprint
This legislative overhaul advances New Delhi's sweeping energy roadmap, which targets 500 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030 alongside the 100 GW nuclear milestone seventeen years later.
India allocated $2.35 billion toward a Nuclear Energy Mission in this year's federal budget, signaling financial commitment to the transition.
Russian nuclear powerhouse Rosatom serves as India's primary technology partner, currently constructing the nation's largest atomic facility—the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu state—designed for 6 GW capacity.
India is simultaneously investigating small modular reactor deployment in isolated regions where conventional power infrastructure proves impractical. Technical consultations on these projects have involved Russia, France, and the US.
Beyond state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), corporate giants Tata Power, Adani Power, and Vedanta have signaled interest in atomic ventures.
NTPC alone plans to develop 30 GW of nuclear capacity over two decades with an estimated $62 billion investment.
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