India’s government introduced a sweeping nuclear energy bill in the lower house of parliament on Monday, seeking approval to replace the country’s existing two nuclear laws. The proposed legislation, named the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India, 2025, drastically limits liability for equipment suppliers, placing responsibility solely on plant operators while restricting their legal recourse to cases of intentional harm.
The bill sets liability caps according to reactor size, with units larger than 3.6 gigawatts facing a maximum of 30 billion rupees ($331 million) and smaller reactors of 150 megawatts or less liable for up to 1 billion rupees. Critics warn that shielding suppliers from lawsuits could increase risks, but supporters argue it is essential to attract foreign investment and accelerate India’s nuclear expansion.
India currently generates around 9 gigawatts of nuclear power, less than 2% of its total energy output, and aims to increase capacity more than eleven-fold to 100 gigawatts by 2047. The government sees nuclear energy as a key component of its plan to boost clean baseload power and achieve net zero emissions by 2070, reducing reliance on coal, which currently fuels nearly 70% of the nation’s electricity.
The legislation marks a dramatic shift from existing regulations, which expose both operators and suppliers to litigation, and is expected to remove a longstanding barrier that has slowed India’s engagement with international nuclear partners.
