WASHINGTON, Aug 21: The US nuclear industry is preparing to submit comprehensive recommendations to India on the draft rules and regulations framed to implement the SHANTI Act, which opens the country’s civil nuclear energy sector to private participation.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) last week released the draft rules and regulations under the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act and invited comments from stakeholders by September 4.
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), which earlier this year led a delegation of US nuclear industry representatives to India to explore opportunities in the civil nuclear sector, held discussions on Thursday with Indian legal experts and the Nuclear Energy Institute in Washington.
“USISPF is coordinating a comprehensive industry submission to the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, by the September 4 deadline,” the forum said.
USISPF also conducted a virtual briefing for members of its Nuclear Industry Committee on the recently released draft rules and regulations.
The session brought together senior representatives from across the nuclear value chain and examined key provisions of the draft framework, their implications for industry, private-sector participation, licensing, liability and project structuring.
Participants also discussed areas requiring further industry attention and potential recommendations to the Indian government.
The briefing featured expert speakers Suhaan Mukerji of Delhi-based PLR Chambers and Ted Jones, Senior Director for National Security and International Programmes at the Nuclear Energy Institute.
The draft rules represent the first detailed framework for implementing the SHANTI Act and outline procedures related to licensing, insurance and regulatory approvals while retaining government control over sensitive nuclear activities.
The SHANTI Act allows private companies and joint ventures to enter India's civil nuclear sector and undertake activities including the construction, ownership and operation of nuclear power plants, their decommissioning, and nuclear research and development.
The legislation also permits private entities to manufacture nuclear fuel and use ionising radiation for non-electricity applications in areas such as medicine, agriculture and other industries.
India has set a target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047. It also plans to develop at least five indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by 2033, with each reactor designed to generate up to 300 MW of electricity.
