Adani Atomic Energy’s focus will be to generate, transmit, and distribute electric power derived from nuclear and/or atomic energy, the company said in a stock exchange filing.
The development comes after the union government’s recent move enacting the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, which has received the assent of the President of India.
The SHANTI Act:
The Act permits private companies to participate in India’s nuclear sector, enabling them to undertake plant operations, power generation, equipment manufacturing, and selected activities such as the fabrication of nuclear fuel including conversion, refining and enrichment of uranium-235 up to such threshold value, or production, use, processing or disposal of other prescribed substances.
In addition, all activities that involve radiation exposure must obtain prior safety authorisation from the regulatory authority.
India’s present nuclear capacity stands at 8.78 GW and accounts for around 3 per cent of total electricity generation. With the indigenous 700 MW and 1000 MW reactors being developed through international cooperation, the capacity is projected to rise to 22.38 GW by 2031–32.
The country has a long term target of achieving 100 GW nuclear energy capacity by 2047.
India’s growing energy demands and clean energy commitments make a strong case for expanding nuclear capacity, as per the government.
Round-the-clock electricity is vital for emerging needs such as data centres and advanced industries, yet existing laws do not provide the flexibility or speed required for such growth. To meet the national target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 and advance long-term decarbonisation by 2070, a modern legal framework is essential, which enables wider participation, leverages indigenous resources, and integrates innovation with safety, it said.
Taken together, these developments highlight the need for progressive legislation that can repeal the 1962 Act and the 2010 liability law. A unified legislation allows India to expand the role of nuclear energy in its overall energy mix, encourage innovation, support non-power applications, and continue to uphold the highest standards of safety, security, safeguards, and liability. In this way, the bill serves as a natural progression of India’s evolving nuclear journey and provides a foundation for the sector’s future growth, the government said.
