Overview
- The Union Cabinet approved the Atomic Energy Bill 2025, branded SHANTI, with the government saying it will be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.
- The bill ends the decades‑long state monopoly by permitting private participation across exploration, fuel fabrication and equipment manufacturing, while the state retains control over licensed operations, nuclear materials and waste.
- A new liability framework is proposed with insurance‑based caps, government backstopping beyond defined thresholds, and the creation of an independent nuclear safety authority and a specialised tribunal.
- Officials indicate the package would allow up to 49% foreign direct investment in nuclear projects, alongside a separate cabinet move to open the insurance sector to 100% foreign ownership.
- The reform is tied to an SMR‑focused push that includes a Rs 20,000 crore R&D mission and aims for five indigenous SMRs by 2033, with a panel estimating about Rs 19.28 trillion in capital needed to reach 100 GW by 2047.