Published: 07:24 PM, 14 January 2026
India’s Nuclear Vision: The SHANTI Bill and a Path to Global Leadership
India’s bold nuclear reform, the SHANTI Bill, 2025, is not unfolding in isolation. It comes at the very moment when the country is positioning itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence and hyperscale data centres — industries whose voracious appetite for electricity is reshaping energy policy worldwide.
Across the world, big tech companies are looking at nuclear power as a way to keep up with the huge electricity demand from artificial intelligence. In the U.S., Microsoft has looked at restarting part of the old Three Mile Island plant to run its data centres. Google has teamed up with NextEra Energy to bring the Duane Arnold nuclear facility in Iowa back online, and Amazon has arranged direct supply from the Susquehanna plant in Pennsylvania. Smaller players like Oklo and NuScale are pushing small modular reactors designed specifically with data centres in mind.
Europe is moving in the same direction. The UK’s Rolls‑Royce SMR program is being promoted as a solution for industrial clusters and digital infrastructure, while France and Finland are exploring nuclear‑powered computing hubs.
In Asia, China and South Korea are developing their own small modular reactor designs with plans to use them for industry and AI clusters.
India is now part of this trend too. Its data centre capacity is about 1.3 gigawatts in 2025 and is expected to grow to 4.7 gigawatts by 2030, much of that growth driven by artificial intelligence. As demand rises, both international and domestic players are committing billions to India’s AI infrastructure.
Mega Investments
Google is putting $15 billion into an AI hub in Visakhapatnam.
Microsoft has announced $21.5 billion spread across Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
AWS is investing $8.3 billion in Maharashtra, plus another $2 billion in Telangana.
Reliance Industries is building gigawatt‑scale AI campuses in Gujarat and Visakhapatnam, with a total capacity of 4 GW.
Tata Group is committing $7 billion for a 1 GW AI‑ready campus.
Across the world, big tech companies are looking at nuclear power as a way to keep up with the huge electricity demand from artificial intelligence. In the U.S., Microsoft has looked at restarting part of the old Three Mile Island plant to run its data centres. Google has teamed up with NextEra Energy to bring the Duane Arnold nuclear facility in Iowa back online, and Amazon has arranged direct supply from the Susquehanna plant in Pennsylvania. Smaller players like Oklo and NuScale are pushing small modular reactors designed specifically with data centres in mind.
Europe is moving in the same direction. The UK’s Rolls‑Royce SMR program is being promoted as a solution for industrial clusters and digital infrastructure, while France and Finland are exploring nuclear‑powered computing hubs.
In Asia, China and South Korea are developing their own small modular reactor designs with plans to use them for industry and AI clusters.
India is now part of this trend too. Its data centre capacity is about 1.3 gigawatts in 2025 and is expected to grow to 4.7 gigawatts by 2030, much of that growth driven by artificial intelligence. As demand rises, both international and domestic players are committing billions to India’s AI infrastructure.
Mega Investments
Google is putting $15 billion into an AI hub in Visakhapatnam.
Microsoft has announced $21.5 billion spread across Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
AWS is investing $8.3 billion in Maharashtra, plus another $2 billion in Telangana.
Reliance Industries is building gigawatt‑scale AI campuses in Gujarat and Visakhapatnam, with a total capacity of 4 GW.
Tata Group is committing $7 billion for a 1 GW AI‑ready campus.
The government’s IndiaAI Mission, launched in 2024 with $1.24 billion in funding, is targeting more than 10,000 GPUs over five years.
The AI‑focused data centre market in India is worth about $1.19 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $3.1 billion by 2030, growing at 21% annually.
AI systems use far more electricity than regular servers — about five to six times more per rack. Analysts say that within the next ten years, as much as half of India’s data centre capacity could be tied to AI, which would sharply change the country’s overall energy demand.
For decades, India’s nuclear power sector has been a fortress of state control, guarded by laws written in the shadow of Cold War geopolitics and domestic caution. Private capital was kept out, liability rules were designed to shield the public purse, and foreign suppliers were wary of entering a market where responsibility for accidents could extend indefinitely.
That fortress may now be opening.
On December 16, 2025, the Indian government tabled the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill in Parliament, a sweeping reform that would repeal two cornerstone laws — the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010. If enacted, the measure would open the door for private companies to build and operate nuclear plants, cap liability for operators, and elevate the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to statutory authority.
Officials describe the bill as the most ambitious nuclear reform in India’s history. “This is about placing nuclear energy at the heart of India’s growth story,” one senior energy adviser said.
The SHANTI Bill lays out changes that would have been hard to imagine ten years ago:
Private participation: Indian companies would be allowed to build, own, and run nuclear plants. Foreign‑controlled firms are still excluded, but foreign investment up to 49 percent is allowed.
Liability regime: Only operators would carry liability, capped at 300 million Special Drawing Rights (around ₹3,000 crore). Suppliers would not be held responsible, a shift from India’s earlier position that discouraged foreign partners.
Regulatory overhaul: The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board would be given statutory powers, and a new tribunal would handle disputes.
Sensitive activities: Fuel enrichment, reprocessing, and heavy water production would stay under government monopoly to keep sovereign control.
The AI‑focused data centre market in India is worth about $1.19 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $3.1 billion by 2030, growing at 21% annually.
AI systems use far more electricity than regular servers — about five to six times more per rack. Analysts say that within the next ten years, as much as half of India’s data centre capacity could be tied to AI, which would sharply change the country’s overall energy demand.
For decades, India’s nuclear power sector has been a fortress of state control, guarded by laws written in the shadow of Cold War geopolitics and domestic caution. Private capital was kept out, liability rules were designed to shield the public purse, and foreign suppliers were wary of entering a market where responsibility for accidents could extend indefinitely.
That fortress may now be opening.
On December 16, 2025, the Indian government tabled the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill in Parliament, a sweeping reform that would repeal two cornerstone laws — the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010. If enacted, the measure would open the door for private companies to build and operate nuclear plants, cap liability for operators, and elevate the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to statutory authority.
Officials describe the bill as the most ambitious nuclear reform in India’s history. “This is about placing nuclear energy at the heart of India’s growth story,” one senior energy adviser said.
The SHANTI Bill lays out changes that would have been hard to imagine ten years ago:
Private participation: Indian companies would be allowed to build, own, and run nuclear plants. Foreign‑controlled firms are still excluded, but foreign investment up to 49 percent is allowed.
Liability regime: Only operators would carry liability, capped at 300 million Special Drawing Rights (around ₹3,000 crore). Suppliers would not be held responsible, a shift from India’s earlier position that discouraged foreign partners.
Regulatory overhaul: The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board would be given statutory powers, and a new tribunal would handle disputes.
Sensitive activities: Fuel enrichment, reprocessing, and heavy water production would stay under government monopoly to keep sovereign control.
For India, the reforms are framed as essential to scaling nuclear power from its current 9 gigawatts to 100 gigawatts by 2047, anchoring its pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2070. India’s nuclear reform is not just about climate—it is about economics. Nuclear plants are capital-intensive, often requiring billions of dollars in upfront investment. By opening the sector to private capital, the government hopes to relieve fiscal pressure, create high-skill jobs, and stabilize power supply for industries from steel to data centres.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), a key part of the bill, are being promoted as flexible tools for cutting industrial emissions. They could be used to power chemical plants, desalination projects, or even remote military bases. But there are clear hurdles. Nuclear power still costs more than coal or solar, projects take years to build, land acquisition is difficult, and many people remain sceptical about safety and waste. “The economics of nuclear are unforgiving,” said a former member of the Atomic Energy Commission.
The bill also carries geopolitical weight.
Russia remains India’s most entrenched partner, with six reactors at Kudankulam and plans for floating plants and SMRs.
France has staked its future on the Jaitapur project, potentially the world’s largest nuclear plant, alongside a roadmap for modular reactors and workforce training.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), a key part of the bill, are being promoted as flexible tools for cutting industrial emissions. They could be used to power chemical plants, desalination projects, or even remote military bases. But there are clear hurdles. Nuclear power still costs more than coal or solar, projects take years to build, land acquisition is difficult, and many people remain sceptical about safety and waste. “The economics of nuclear are unforgiving,” said a former member of the Atomic Energy Commission.
The bill also carries geopolitical weight.
Russia remains India’s most entrenched partner, with six reactors at Kudankulam and plans for floating plants and SMRs.
France has staked its future on the Jaitapur project, potentially the world’s largest nuclear plant, alongside a roadmap for modular reactors and workforce training.
The United States, once stymied by liability disputes, may now see renewed prospects for Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi projects.
Canada continues to diversify India’s uranium supply, bolstering fuel security.
Canada continues to diversify India’s uranium supply, bolstering fuel security.
India’s nuclear diplomacy reflects its broader ambition: to be a rule-shaper in nuclear governance, balancing partnerships across East and West while retaining sovereign control over sensitive technologies.
For the world, India’s SHANTI Bill is more than domestic reform. It is a test case for whether a large developing economy can scale nuclear power under private–public partnership while maintaining safety and sovereignty. If it works, India could set an example for other developing countries, showing that nuclear power can be opened up, financed, and built at scale in the Global South.
India’s path is a democratic attempt to bring private capital into nuclear power, backed by stricter regulation and clear climate goals. Unlike other countries that rely on state‑driven expansion, India is positioning its reform as a model of openness and accountability, tied directly to its long‑term climate commitments.
It’s a bold move, and the results will depend on delivery. The SHANTI Bill lays out a clearer path for investment and oversight. For now, India has made its position clear: nuclear energy will be central to its growth, and part of its claim to global climate leadership.
>> Source: Etruth MV
India’s path is a democratic attempt to bring private capital into nuclear power, backed by stricter regulation and clear climate goals. Unlike other countries that rely on state‑driven expansion, India is positioning its reform as a model of openness and accountability, tied directly to its long‑term climate commitments.
It’s a bold move, and the results will depend on delivery. The SHANTI Bill lays out a clearer path for investment and oversight. For now, India has made its position clear: nuclear energy will be central to its growth, and part of its claim to global climate leadership.
>> Source: Etruth MV
