India Opens Public Consultation on SHANTI Nuclear Framework
India's Department of Atomic Energy has launched a public consultation on rules implementing the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, which completed the legislative process in December. The consultation period runs until 4 September, allowing interested parties to submit feedback on draft regulations published on 14 August.
The SHANTI Act consolidates India's nuclear legal framework by repealing the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010. The legislation grants statutory recognition to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and establishes a modernised regulatory structure designed to support India's clean-energy transition and its target of 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047.
Licensing and Participation
The new framework enables wider participation from both public and private sectors in India's nuclear energy industry, operating under regulatory oversight. A single composite licence will authorise the building, owning, operating, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors, encompassing both fission-based reactors and deuterium-tritium reaction-based fusion reactors.
The rules establish licensing frameworks for fuel cycle facilities, uranium and thorium exploration, mining and processing, radiation source manufacture, and non-power applications. They also cover foreign and domestic trade and transportation of nuclear fuel, equipment, technology, and radioactive substances.
Foreign Reactor Requirements
For foreign-designed reactors, licences will only be granted for designs already certified or approved by the regulatory body in their country of origin. The legislation defines country of origin as nations that are self-reliant in nuclear reactor design and supply chain ecosystems with globally trusted regulatory approvals. Such designs must be operational either in their country of origin or another foreign country.
Imported or domestically acquired technology must not adversely affect India's interests, constitute unreasonable risk to public health and safety, or conflict with national policies. For projects where site or technology selection is incomplete, the licensing authority may grant in-principle approval, enabling applicants to negotiate with reactor vendors and acquire necessary land and infrastructure.