Progress under Nuclear Energy Mission: 100 GW target, indigenous SMRs, and private sector participation via SHANTI Act, 2025
SHANTI Act, 2025 and the Nuclear Energy Mission’s 100 GWe-by-2047 target, with indigenous SMRs and private-sector participation
- SHANTI Act, 2025 is presented as a law focused on the Nuclear Energy Mission and described as enabling private participation in nuclear energy while creating a statutory regulator.
- Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is described as having statutory status and independent functioning for drafting regulations, regulatory oversight, enforcement action, and recommendations to the Central Government.
The Union Budget 2025–26 announcement for the Nuclear Energy Mission (NEM) sets a long-horizon ambition to expand India’s nuclear electricity generation capacity to 100 GWe by 2047, supported by a Viksit Bharat vision and net-zero emissions goals. The mission also aims to operationalise at least five indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by 2033, combining domestic reactor development with expanded sector participation.
What happened under the Nuclear Energy Mission and SHANTI Act, 2025
The SHANTI Act, 2025 focuses on the Nuclear Energy Mission and provides the legislative framework to bring private entities into nuclear energy activities, including research and development and other participation models. Alongside the law, a capacity roadmap outlines near-term capacity additions through progressive completion of ongoing projects, followed by additional capacity additions expected from Indian public-sector enterprises, state governments, and private/joint ventures through different reactor technologies.
UPSC can frame the issue as how India links long-horizon capacity targets (100 GWe by 2047) with indigenous SMR development and regulatory independence, while using a phased roadmap to expand capacity and allocate additional generation capacity among public and private/joint-venture participants.
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