India's SHANTI Bill: Opening up nuclear power
India just introduced the SHANTI Bill, aiming to shake up the country's nuclear energy scene.
For the first time, private Indian companies could get involved in building and running nuclear reactors—ending a decades-old government monopoly.
The bill also scraps two older laws to make way for this big change.
What's new for private players?
With SHANTI, Indian firms can now apply for licenses to build, own, and operate nuclear reactors.
They can also handle some fuel processing and uranium imports (within limits).
Sensitive stuff like heavy water production stays with the government.
Foreign companies? They can help with tech through joint ventures but can't actually run reactors themselves.
How does it handle safety and risks?
The bill puts all legal responsibility on reactor operators if something goes wrong—suppliers are off the hook.
There's a cap on liability per incident (about ₹3,000 crore insurance for big plants), plus a special fund if damages go beyond that.
An independent safety regulator will be set up to keep everything in check under international standards.
Why does it matter right now?
SHANTI is part of India's push to boost nuclear power from 8 GW today to 100 GW by 2047—and eventually 300 GW by 2070—to hit net-zero emissions goals.
If you care about climate action or future jobs in clean energy tech, this bill could shape what comes next for India's power sector.