India has passed new legislation allowing private companies to enter its nuclear power sector, marking a major shift in the country’s energy policy.
The lower house of parliament approved the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, which sets a target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
The government says expanding nuclear energy is essential to meeting rising electricity demand while reducing emissions.
The new law allows private operators to run nuclear plants and eases long-standing liability rules that had discouraged both domestic and foreign investment. Existing liability provisions were widely seen as obstacles to importing advanced nuclear technology.
The legislation repeals two earlier laws governing atomic energy and nuclear damage liability, replacing them with a streamlined regulatory framework. The move aligns with India’s broader goal of building 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030.
Several major Indian conglomerates have expressed interest, while Russia, France and the United States remain key technology partners.
