Overview
- The new law consolidates nuclear statutes, replaces the 1962 framework, and gives the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board a clear statutory mandate for lifecycle oversight.
- Civil nuclear liability has been realigned with international practice, limiting operator recourse to contractual provisions or intentional acts, a shift expected to reassure foreign suppliers tied to projects like Kovvada and Jaitapur.
- Significant details are deferred to rules, including the definition of “supplier,” the scope of “sensitive” and “strategic” activities, potential creation of additional regulators, and procedures for selecting AERB members to bolster independence.
- Section 37 centralizes tariff setting for nuclear power and overrides the Electricity Act, prompting calls to exempt private-to-private deals or revise the provision so SMR developers can contract directly with commercial buyers such as data centers.
- Policy targets remain ambitious, with capacity expected to rise from about 8 GW today to 22 GW by 2032 and 100 GW by 2047, supported by ₹20,000 crore for indigenous R&D and early deployment of homegrown reactor designs.