SHANTI Bill to offer Reliable Renewable Energy Supply, Says Commerce Minister Goyal

According to the Times of India, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on December 15 stated that the new nuclear energy bill will open the door for a consistent and dependable supply of renewable energy, a crucial request of data centres.

Addressing a press conference on achievements of Centre in the power sector since 2014, Goyal said India has emerged as a “preferred destination” for data centres.

“With installation of small modular reactors on large scale, there will be no power cut. It will strengthen renewable energy. Solar and wind energy can’t give 24x7 electricity but nuclear power can. If there is a combination of solar, wind and nuclear, you can get round-the-clock clean and renewable energy,” said Goyal.

He predicted that India's energy sector would become a global model for balancing sustainability, speed and scale.

According to Earth.org, nuclear energy is prepared to make a significant contribution to the global endeavour to achieve net-zero emissions.  Nuclear provides always-on, scalable, low-carbon power to support the growth of renewable energy sources.  It can produce clean hydrogen and decarbonise challenging industries.

What is SHANTI Bill?

The government introduced a new Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 15, called the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, which will private participation in India’s highly restricted nuclear power sector.

The new Bill will replace the existing Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.

The government said the new Bill is a key step towards achieving India’s target of 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2047, as it seeks to “harness the full potential of India’s nuclear energy and indigenous resources through active involvement of both the public and private sectors.”

“…accelerated growth of Artificial Intelligence, high-performance computing, quantum technologies, indigenous semiconductor fabrication and large-scale data-driven research requires stable, reliable, abundant, clean and round-the-clock power supply, which can be ensured through expanded deployment of nuclear energy and necessitating a new legal framework promoting research and innovation in private-sector,” the short title of the Bill read, reported The Indian Express.

The removal of an earlier clause under "right of recourse" that had permitted nuclear plant operators to pursue compensation from suppliers in the event of a nuclear accident brought on by faulty equipment, subpar services, or the actions of suppliers or their employees is a significant modification of the new Bill.

Foreign suppliers of nuclear equipment have frequently pointed out that this clause discourages them from investing in India's nuclear industry because it exposes them to uncertain and long-term liability risks in the event of a nuclear accident.