The government is preparing to introduce two major amendments during the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament aimed at partially opening up India’s tightly controlled nuclear power sector.Two Amendments Planned to Open Up Nuclear Power Sector; Focus Shifts from Technology to Capital Needs
According to senior officials, the proposed changes — to the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 — will pave the way for private sector participation and foreign investment in nuclear power generation.
An official familiar with the matter said the move is being driven more by the need for fresh capital than by technology transfer. “India has access to nuclear technology through long-standing partnerships. What we need now is financial muscle to accelerate capacity expansion,” the official noted.
Currently, only government-owned entities such as NPCIL are allowed to build and operate nuclear plants. The proposed amendments would enable private Indian companies — and potentially foreign partners — to invest in or co-develop projects, including small modular reactors (SMRs).
The government’s broader objective is to scale nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047, as part of its clean energy transition. However, progress has been constrained by limited state funding and concerns among foreign suppliers over India’s liability regime.
By easing provisions in the Civil Liability Act and modernising the Atomic Energy Act, New Delhi hopes to make the sector more attractive to investors and suppliers alike.
While earlier collaborations with international partners like the US, France, and Russia focused on technology sharing, the current wave of engagement is aimed at mobilising private and global capital to accelerate project execution.
