“Shanti Bill Gets Presidential Assent; Private Companies Can Now Enter India’s Nuclear Industry”
“The law allows private companies and joint ventures to build, own, operate, and decommission nuclear power plants, subject to government licensing.”
President Droupadi Murmu Grants Assent to SHANTI Bill, Paving Way for Private Entry in Nuclear Sector.
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, passed by Parliament during the Winter Session. A government notification confirmed the approval on Saturday.
The SHANTI Bill consolidates all existing laws governing India’s civil nuclear sector and opens the door for private sector participation. It repeals the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010, both of which had constrained growth in the sector.
Under the new law, private companies and joint ventures can build, own, operate, and decommission nuclear power plants, provided they obtain a government license.
However, key strategic activities—including uranium and thorium mining, isotope enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, high-level radioactive waste management, and heavy water production—will remain the exclusive domain of the central government or government-owned entities.
The SHANTI Bill aims to boost investment, promote technological advancement, and accelerate the expansion of India’s civil nuclear energy capacity, while maintaining state control over critical nuclear activities.
Comments are closed.