BS EDIT: Nuclear Power Opens Up

By Business StandardPublished On Dec 17, 2025

A long-awaited shift

The SHANTI Bill, 2025 replaces older laws that kept nuclear power largely state-led, signalling a policy reset to expand capacity faster

Fixing the liability roadblock

It removes suppliers’ liability from statute and pushes it into contracts—closer to global practice and less daunting for investors

Clearer operator responsibility

Operator “no-fault” liability stays capped at 300 million SDRs, with mandatory insurance/financial security for immediate relief

Government backstop reassures investors

Compensation beyond the cap shifts to the government, including access to international funds—key comfort for foreign capital

Boost for small modular reactors

The changes could draw private interest in small modular reactors, seen as a quicker path to the 2047 nuclear target

Limits remain

Sensitive fuel-cycle activities stay government-only—an open question for investors eyeing scale