U.S. nuclear industry delegation meets Jitendra Singh, explores private investment avenues in India

A high-level US industry delegation comprising representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) ...

What Happened

A high-level US industry delegation comprising representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) met with the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology to discuss private investment opportunities in India's nuclear energy sector.
India has set a target to expand nuclear power capacity from the current 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047 — a roughly 12-fold increase — as a central pillar of the Viksit Bharat clean energy vision.
The discussions centered on India's recently enacted SHANTI Act, 2025, which for the first time permits licensed private entities, including joint ventures with foreign partners, to build and operate civilian nuclear power plants.
Key areas of potential collaboration include Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), micro-reactors, AI-enabled nuclear safety systems, scientific computing, and nuclear energy modelling; India has allocated nearly ₹20,000 crore for SMR development.

Static Topic Bridges

SHANTI Act, 2025 — India's Nuclear Framework Overhaul

The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025 is a landmark legislative reform passed by both Houses of Parliament on December 18, 2025, and assented to by the President. It replaces two earlier statutes — the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA), 2010 — fundamentally restructuring who can participate in India's nuclear sector.

Licensed private companies (including JVs with foreign suppliers) may now build and operate civilian nuclear power plants under AERB oversight
Strategic activities — uranium enrichment, fuel reprocessing — remain exclusive to the state
Liability regime: revised to cap operator liability by plant capacity; critically, the supplier liability clause (Section 17(b) of CLNDA, 2010 — which allowed operators to recover damages from suppliers) has been removed, addressing a long-standing barrier to US and other foreign suppliers entering India's market
AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) given statutory independence under the new law

Connection to this news: The SHANTI Act directly enables the US nuclear industry delegation's visit; companies like Westinghouse (whose entry was previously deterred by supplier liability) can now explore investment without the legal overhang of being held liable in the event of a nuclear accident.

India's Three-Stage Nuclear Programme and Viksit Bharat 2047

India's three-stage nuclear programme was conceived by physicist Homi J. Bhabha to exploit India's abundant thorium reserves. Stage 1 uses pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) fuelled by natural uranium; Stage 2 uses fast breeder reactors fuelled by plutonium (produced in Stage 1); Stage 3 uses thorium-U233 fuel cycles. Currently India operates primarily in Stage 1. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) oversees the programme; the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) operates all existing plants; Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) manufactures components. The Viksit Bharat 2047 vision targets India becoming a developed nation by the centenary of independence, with 100 GW nuclear capacity as a key clean energy milestone.

Current installed nuclear capacity: 8.8 GW (as of 2026)
Target: 100 GW by 2047 — requires adding ~91 GW in roughly 20 years
BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre): R&D arm, Trombay; NPCIL: operates 24+ reactors at 8 stations
SMRs: reactors under 300 MW(e); advantages — modular construction, lower upfront capital, flexible siting, faster deployment

Connection to this news: The 100 GW target cannot be achieved through state investment alone — the SHANTI Act's private sector opening and US technology collaboration are structurally necessary to achieve the scale required.

India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation — The 123 Agreement and Beyond

The India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (commonly called the "123 Agreement") was signed in October 2008 following the landmark India-US nuclear deal framework (Hyde Act, 2006). It enabled civilian nuclear trade between the two countries after India received a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in September 2008 — exempting India from standard NSG guidelines despite not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The IAEA Safeguards Agreement (India-specific) governs inspection of India's civilian reactors.

NPT: opened for signature 1968; India, Pakistan, Israel — non-signatories; India insists on civilian-military separation as a substitute obligation
NSG waiver (2008): allowed member states to conduct nuclear commerce with India despite NPT non-membership
Hyde Act (Henry J. Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act, 2006): US domestic law enabling the 123 Agreement
Previous barrier removed by SHANTI Act: CLNDA Section 17(b) supplier liability — US companies cited this as deterrent to setting up reactors in India

Connection to this news: The 123 Agreement created the legal foundation for US-India nuclear trade, but the SHANTI Act and removal of supplier liability finally make it commercially viable — the delegation represents the first serious commercial exploration of this long-pending opening.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with an output of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, designed for factory fabrication and modular deployment. Compared to conventional large reactors (1,000–1,600 MW), SMRs offer lower overnight capital costs, shorter construction timelines, scalability, and the ability to be sited in smaller footprints. Global leaders in SMR development include US companies (Westinghouse's AP300, NuScale), UK (Rolls-Royce), and Russia (ROSATOM's floating SMR). India's own BARC has designed the AHWR (Advanced Heavy Water Reactor) as a Stage 3 thorium concept, but SMR deployment is focused on imported and jointly developed designs.

India's SMR allocation: ~₹20,000 crore (approximately $2.4 billion)
SMRs are seen as particularly suitable for industrial heat applications and remote/island power supply
Micro-reactors: sub-10 MW; designed for military, remote community, or industrial use

Connection to this news: India's SMR programme is explicitly cited as a collaboration focus with US companies, giving the 123 Agreement a new commercial dimension beyond conventional large-reactor trade.

Key Facts & Data

India's current nuclear installed capacity: 8.8 GW (2026)
Target: 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 (Viksit Bharat vision)
SHANTI Act passed December 18, 2025; replaces Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and CLNDA, 2010
India's SMR development allocation: ~₹20,000 crore
India-US 123 Agreement signed: October 2008; NSG waiver granted: September 2008
NPT (1968): India is a non-signatory; IAEA Safeguards Agreement governs India's civilian reactors
NPCIL operates 24+ reactors; BARC is India's primary nuclear R&D body (Trombay, Mumbai)
CLNDA Section 17(b) supplier liability — now removed under SHANTI Act — was the chief commercial barrier to US reactor companies entering India