SHANTI Bill, 2025: India targets 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047

Key facts

• The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, allows private players to enter the operations side of the tightly-governed nuclear power sector.
• The law replaces two key legislations: the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (AE Act) and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 (CLNDA).
• The legislation is a key step towards achieving India’s target of 100 gigawatt of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
• The new law allows public and private companies to set up nuclear power plants and undertake activities related to the transport, storage, import and export of nuclear fuel, technology, equipment and minerals.
• The Bill grants statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to ensure its independence from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
• The law adopts graded liability caps for nuclear power operators based on their size of installation and removes the 'right of recourse' against suppliers for defects in equipment or sub-standard services.
• It provides for the establishment of the Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council and a Nuclear Damage Claims Commission to handle grievances and severe nuclear damage cases.