NEW DELHI, May 18 (ANI): Maria Korsnick, President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), said the recently enacted SHANTI Act in India has “opened the door now for a new day” in India-US civil nuclear cooperation, calling it a major step forward for global clean energy collaboration.
The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, replaces the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010, opening India’s civil nuclear sector to private participation for the first time since independence.
Speaking to ANI, Korsnick said the ongoing executive trade mission hosted jointly by NEI and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) offers an important opportunity for American companies to better understand India’s clean energy roadmap and the evolving role of private industry under the new legislation.
Reflecting on the 2005 India-US civil nuclear agreement, Korsnick said unresolved liability concerns had stalled commercial progress for nearly two decades.
“Back in 2005, it was a step forward, but that nuclear liability was not resolved and so for 20 years, we really haven’t made significant steps forward,” she said. “The SHANTI Act has opened the door now for a new day.”
Korsnick also noted that nuclear technology has advanced significantly since the original agreement was signed.
“It wasn’t just the large reactors, which we had in 2005. Yes, it’ll still be large reactors, but large, medium, small, light water, advanced reactors, all different shapes and sizes,” she said.
Highlighting long-term clean energy goals, Korsnick said nuclear power will play a critical role globally and expressed interest in deeper partnerships between American and Indian companies.
“I think long-term clean energy goals are going to be very dependent on nuclear and I think the US commercial sector would love to partner with Indian companies, not only to build here in India, but to partner with companies to also invest in the United States and maybe together build elsewhere in the world,” she said.
“This is really a long-term strategic relationship that is being built,” she added.
Korsnick also stressed the broader geopolitical importance of India’s energy decisions.
“You have a very large population here in India and what you do and the choices that you make, I think, are very important really to the whole world,” she said.
“And by you going with clean, reliable nuclear energy, this is a very significant step forward for the Indo-Pacific region, for us to work together,” she added, describing the partnership as a “win-win.”
Speaking on energy security, Korsnick said nuclear power provides stability amid global geopolitical uncertainty and volatile fossil fuel supply chains.
“That’s really the magic for nuclear, right, is that it brings you that energy security. You pack the energy in the core, it’s there for several years. It gives you that security that you’re going to have that electricity from the nuclear power and you don’t have the supply disruption concerns that you might have from other sources,” she explained.
She added that energy security also contributes directly to national security.
“In the world with changing geopolitics, I think everyone is interested in energy security and national security,” she said.
Korsnick emphasized that bilateral discussions extend beyond reactor construction to the broader nuclear ecosystem, including manufacturing, workforce development, research, fuel supply chains, and operations.
“When you think about nuclear, many people just think about reactors and reactor technology. It’s so much more than that. It’s manufacturing. It’s supply chain. It’s fuel. It’s the people that are going to be operating and engaging in designing these things,” she said.
“It’s really a conversation on the whole value chain for nuclear,” she added.
Highlighting the importance of private-sector participation, Korsnick said India and the United States share a similar vision of government and industry collaboration.
“It’s not just about government. It’s about government working with the private sector. That is a direction I believe India would like to go, and that’s how it already is in the United States,” she said.
Earlier, the US industry delegation held discussions with Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh regarding opportunities for private investment and industry collaboration in India’s nuclear sector.
During the meeting, Singh said India and the US share a strong future-oriented partnership and noted that the US-India TRUST Initiative has created new opportunities for collaboration in critical and emerging technologies.
The TRUST initiative focuses on trusted technology partnerships, resilient supply chains, and innovation ecosystems.
Linking the initiative to India’s long-term clean energy goals under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, Singh said India plans to expand its nuclear power capacity from 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047 through a phased expansion strategy.
The minister said the SHANTI Act serves as the key policy framework to enable greater private-sector participation, including foreign investment.
He added that the implementation framework under the legislation is currently being finalized by the government.
Singh also highlighted India’s plans to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), supported by an allocation of nearly Rs 20,000 crore.
He said there is strong potential for India-US collaboration in areas such as micro-reactors, AI-enabled nuclear safety systems, scientific computing, and nuclear energy modeling.
The discussions also reviewed progress on initiatives including the proposed Westinghouse AP1000 project at Kovvada, cooperation under the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Energy Working Group, hydrogen production, and integrated energy systems.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to expanding practical, industry-led cooperation in clean energy, nuclear technology, advanced manufacturing, and innovation-focused sectors.
Senior officials participating in the discussions included Department of Science and Technology Secretary Rajesh S. Gokhale, along with representatives from the Department of Atomic Energy and US industry organizations. (ANI)
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