The United States on Monday welcomed India’s ‘SHANTI’ Bill 2025, calling it a step towards a “stronger energy security partnership” and a “peaceful civil nuclear cooperation”.
The United States said that it stands ready to undertake joint innovation and R&D in the energy sector with India.(Representational Photo/AP)
The US Embassy in India shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “We welcome India’s new #SHANTIBill, a step towards a stronger energy security partnership and peaceful civil nuclear cooperation. The United States stands ready to undertake joint innovation and R&D in the energy sector.”
The SHANTI Bill stands for ‘Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India’ Bill, 2025.
The bill was passed by the Parliament on Thursday and paved the way for private companies to enter the atomic energy sector of India. It also proposes to repeal the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND Act) 2010.
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What is SHANTI Bill, 2025
According to the government, the SHANTI Bill “consolidates and modernises India’s nuclear legal framework” and “enables limited private participation in the nuclear sector under regulatory oversight”.
It also “strengthens statutory regulation by granting statutory recognition to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)” and “supports India’s clean-energy transition and the long-term objective of achieving 100 GW nuclear energy capacity by 2047.”
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So far only public sector companies could operate nuclear power plants, though joint ventures were allowed. However, under the SHANTI Bill, any company or joint venture is permitted to construct, own, operate, or decommission a nuclear power plant or reactor within the country after receiving a licence that requires a safety authorisation on radiation exposure.
The bill says “any department of the Government of India or any institution or authority or corporation established or owned or controlled by such government, any government company, any other company, a joint venture among any of the aforesaid; or any other person expressly permitted by the central government, by notification, to set up such facilities or undertake such activities,” will be eligible to apply for a licence .