The SHANTI Bill nuclear energy push marks a decisive shift in India’s clean power strategy, placing nuclear energy at the centre of long-term electricity planning and baseload security. The Union government has taken action to position nuclear power as a foundational source of energy for India’s future through the approval of the SHANTI Bill. Currently, India is experiencing a significant increase in electricity use due to increased demand from data centres, an increase in digital infrastructure, and an expansion of industrial activities. Nuclear energy will be an important resource,” said Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal. Nuclear power will provide a reliable, 24-hour per day electricity supply in conjunction with renewable energy sources. In addition, solar and wind energy alone are insufficient to meet base load power generation needs due to their intermittent nature.
As a result, the government’s intent is to combine nuclear power with other renewable sources so that Indian citizens have access to reliable, 24-hour, and 7-day-a-week electricity service. Government officials believe that this Bill represents a major structural change in India’s energy planning and is not merely a limited sectoral change, and represents a significant show of confidence in the nuclear industry as a green transition fuel source.
Private participation and small reactors drive the reform
The Union Cabinet has approved the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025 (AKA SHANTI), during the Winter Session. This legislation aims at opening up India’s highly controlled nuclear sector to private participation for the very first time in history. Officials indicated that it will create a single legal structure that will cover the areas of exploration, mining, fuel fabrication, and operation of reactors. The Government expects that with Private Sector investment, there will be an increase in both the growth in capacity as well as innovation in the Nuclear Sector.
Mr. Goyal indicated that the legislation will enable the rollout of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) that can be used to provide electricity to data centres and other large users of electricity. This reform is part of India’s goal of achieving 100 GW of Nuclear Capacity by 2047. Additionally, sources indicate that the Government intends to create a specialist nuclear safety authority and a dedicated tribunal for resolving disputes.
Energy transition context strengthens SHANTI Bill nuclear energy strategy
India has seen an increase in energy sources since Prime Minister Goyal stated that India has gone from “Coal Shortage” to “Coal Surplus” in terms of Coal production and Coal Imports. Coal production reached over a Billion Tonnes in 2018, and coal imports decreased. The Renewable Energy capacity has increased dramatically, with Solar Power reaching approximately 100 GW from around 2 GW in 2014, and Wind Energy has increased steadily, making a significant contribution to making nearly 1/2 of India’s Installed Capacity from Non-Fossil Sources. Additionally, India has increased the Strength of Natural Gas Pipelines, expanded LPG coverage, and narrowed the power deficit to near zero. Therefore, according to officials, the SHANTI Bill has helped establish Nuclear Energy as a major component of India’s Clean, Reliable, and Future Ready Energy Generation System.
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