SHANTI Bill Signals a Strategic Reset of India’s Nuclear Power Framework

A Long-Awaited Reset in India’s Nuclear Journey

Parliament’s passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill marks a decisive attempt to reboot India’s stalled civil nuclear programme. Despite early technological ambition, legal uncertainty, liability fears and regulatory ambiguity kept investment and global collaboration limited. SHANTI seeks to replace this fragmented architecture with a coherent framework, aiming to make nuclear power a core pillar of India’s clean energy mix , with a target of 100 GW by 2047 .

Expanding Capacity with Calibrated Openness

The Bill allows private Indian entities to participate in nuclear power generation alongside public sector undertakings, recognising that scale demands capital and execution capacity beyond the state alone. At the same time, foreign companies remain excluded as licensees , and sensitive areas such as enrichment, reprocessing and spent fuel management stay under central government control. This balance reflects a strategy of economic openness without compromising national security.

Fixing Regulation and Liability

A key reform lies in strengthening the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) with clearer statutory backing, reinforcing the separation between promotion and regulation. On liability, SHANTI moves India closer to global norms . The overall cap of 300 million SDR is retained, but supplier liability is narrowed, and a Nuclear Liability Fund backed by the central government ensures victim compensation beyond the operator’s limit. Damage caused by terrorist acts is explicitly treated as a sovereign responsibility.

Victim Protection and Innovation

The Bill broadens the definition of nuclear damage to include long-term health, environmental and economic losses, while streamlining claims and payouts. It also introduces a special intellectual property regime , enabling patents in nuclear-related technologies and integrating Indian firms into global supply chains.

From Framework to Execution

SHANTI does not guarantee rapid expansion. Its success will depend on regulatory capacity, transparent rule-making and effective implementation. What it offers is credibility — a workable framework to move India from hesitation to execution.

Important Facts for Exams

• SHANTI Bill aims for 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047

• Private Indian firms allowed; foreign licensees excluded

• Liability cap set at 300 million SDR

• Terrorism-related damage treated as sovereign risk