India's Power Minister Meets US Energy Secretary, Discusses Nuclear Power

Power Minister Manohar Lal has met US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Houston and discussed India's nuclear energy expansion roadmap and other issues.

Lal met Wright on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial in Houston, the power minister's office said.

Discussions covered India's power infrastructure requirements for emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, high-performance computing and data centres, as well as India's nuclear energy expansion roadmap, it said.

The two leaders also discussed strengthening cooperation in clean energy, resilient energy infrastructure and emerging technologies.

The meeting comes at a time when the US industry is keen on investing in the nuclear sector in India as it aims to achieve 100 GW atomic energy capability by 2047.

Last year, India enacted the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act (SHANTI Act) that opened up the tightly controlled nuclear sector to private participation.

India has sharply increased purchases of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States as disruptions linked to the conflict in West Asia constrain supplies from traditional Gulf suppliers, data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler showed.

Earlier, participating in the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial, Lal highlighted India’s rapid progress in building a secure and resilient energy system.

Participating in the discussion on “Energy Security and Affordable Baseload”, the minister listed India’s achievements such as 552 GW installed capacity, a non-fossil share exceeding 50%, and major advances in solar, storage, nuclear, and clean cooking access.

He emphasised India’s commitment to technology-neutral, inclusive energy pathways and global cooperation through ISA, OSOWOG, and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

In the discussions on the topic “Permitting and Regulatory Efficiency,” Lal outlined India’s reforms to streamline approvals and strengthen regulatory predictability through digital platforms including the National Single Window System, PARIVESH, and PM Gati Shakti.

He stressed that efficient permitting is essential for timely infrastructure development and called for enhanced G20 collaboration in capacity building and regulatory modernisation.