India introduces SHANTI Bill 2025 to modernise nuclear energy framework

India's Parliament introduced the SHANTI Bill 2025, consolidating fragmented nuclear law and granting legal recognition to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, with the backgrounder posted on December 19, 2025. The Bill opens limited private participation under strict oversight while positioning nuclear as a low-carbon complement to renewables in India's clean energy transition.

India's Parliament introduced the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, consolidating and replacing the fragmented legal framework governing nuclear energy. The government posted the backgrounder on December 19, 2025. The Bill grants legal recognition to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to enhance oversight and consistent compliance, retains sovereign control over sensitive fuel-cycle aspects including enrichment and waste management, and opens less critical areas to limited private participation under strict regulatory oversight.

The Bill affects nuclear operators, prospective private-sector entrants, and sectors using radiation technologies including healthcare, agriculture and industry, for which it creates a regulatory framework for peaceful applications beyond electricity. It introduces a graded liability structure distinguishing liability limits by facility type and risk profile, replacing the previous one-size-fits-all approach. Provisions for dispute redressal and appellate pathways aim to enhance investor confidence, while research and development activities receive certain exemptions to promote scientific advancement within a controlled environment.

Stakeholders should monitor the Bill's progress through Parliament and prepare for streamlined licensing and safety authorisation processes. The legislation reinforces quality assurance systems and emergency preparedness aligned with international best practices, and empowers the government to appoint specialised Claims Commissioners and establish a Nuclear Damage Claims Commission to adjudicate compensation for severe incidents. ESG stakeholders should assess implications for compliance, investor confidence and long-term market development as nuclear is positioned as a low-carbon complement to renewables.

Key figure — Backgrounder date: SHANTI Bill backgrounder posted on December 19, 2025