NEW DELHI, December 21 (ANI): Amid opposition allegations that the SHANTI Bill was passed under pressure from the United States, foreign policy expert Robinder Sachdev on Saturday said the legislation was long overdue and essential for India to advance its green energy goals and revive its stalled nuclear power sector.
“This bill was long overdue for India to achieve its green energy objectives. It will create the right environment for private operators and vendors,” Sachdev said.
Sachdev, who has played a key role in shaping India’s civil nuclear diplomacy with the United States and Japan since 2005, said he was involved in the 123 nuclear agreements between India and the US, as well as between India and Japan. He recalled that the liability law passed in 2010 proved to be a major setback for the sector.
“In 2010, India passed the liability bill, the terms of which no foreign or even Indian equipment vendor was agreeable to. Even Indian companies such as BHEL and L&T said they would not be able to work under the conditions of that liability bill,” he said.
He added that major private operators, including GMR, Tata Power, and Reliance Energy, which were considering entering the nuclear power sector at the time, backed out. American, Japanese, and French companies also withdrew, leaving the nuclear energy sector in limbo for nearly 15 years due to the provisions of the 2010 law.
“This is the bill that was due for reform,” Sachdev said.
Explaining the impact of the new legislation, Sachdev said liability would no longer be passed on to vendors and suppliers in the event of an accident, a change that would encourage private participation. “This will create the right environment for private operators and vendors to supply reactors and other equipment,” he said.
He noted that India’s target is to achieve 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047, compared with the nearly nine gigawatts currently being generated.
Advocating nuclear power as a critical component of India’s clean energy transition, Sachdev said nuclear energy is both cleaner and safer, despite higher upfront costs. “A nuclear plant operates for about 70 to 80 years, whereas a coal plant’s life is only 30 to 40 years,” he said, adding that nuclear energy offers long-term benefits for consumers.
Responding to opposition claims that the reform was driven by external pressure, Sachdev acknowledged the argument but framed it differently. “They do have a point that India has made this reform under pressure from America. But I look at this otherwise. The primary reason is our own national self-interest,” he said.
He emphasized that Indian companies would not be able to participate meaningfully in the nuclear sector without reform and that the changes were necessary to fully utilize nuclear energy domestically.
Concluding his remarks, Sachdev said nuclear power would eventually become cheaper than coal while remaining cleaner and emission-free. “The benefits will therefore be for India,” he said, adding that increased investment would ultimately benefit consumers and the common citizen.
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