The SHANTI Bill, 2025 (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) marks a landmark transition in India's nuclear energy strategy, dismantling a state monopoly that has lasted over 60 years, by allowing Indian private companies to build, own, and operate nuclear power plants. By consolidating the fragmented legislation of 1962 and 2010 into a single, cohesive framework, the Bill provides a roadmap to achieve 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. While it invites private investment and international technology to provide a reliable 24/7 baseload for India’s 2070 net-zero goals, the government maintains a firm grip on critical "strategic" operations, such as fuel enrichment and waste management.
Our view:
There is a Regulatory overhaul as the bill formally establishes the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) with statutory status, granting it greater autonomy to set safety standards and enforce inspections across both power and non-power (healthcare, agriculture) applications.
A dedicated tribunal will be created to resolve sector-specific disputes, excluding the jurisdiction of civil courts to ensure faster legal resolutions.
The opening up of the sector to private players provides an enormous opportunity for Inda to regain the leadership in nuclear technology. Naturally the AERB will have adequate regulatory powers and show transparency to supervise this complex sector as well as educate the public against misinformed campaigns that can become viral. Nuclear offers the best route to weed out fossil fuel and help the world clean up the energy pipeline. Just depending on solar etc has its limitations and so technologies like Small Modular Reactors in the nuclear field are essential in this quest.
Link : https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/lok-sabha-clears-shanti-bill-ending-decades-of-state-monopoly-over-nuclear-power/article70407831.ece
Link : https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/unveiling-the-shanti-bill-2025-a-game-changer-in-indias-nuclear-energy-landscape/126028796
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