A high-level US industry delegation recently met with Union MoS for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, to explore opportunities for private investment and industry collaboration in India’s nuclear sector. Dr. Singh emphasized the potential for collaboration between India and the US in advanced areas like micro-reactors, AI-enabled nuclear safety systems, scientific computing, nuclear energy modeling, and institutional capacity building.
The discussions centered on India’s Nuclear Energy Mission, recent policy reforms allowing increased private sector involvement, and the expanding cooperation between India and the US in clean energy and critical technologies. Minister Singh informed the delegation about the SHANTI Act, 2025, which aims to enhance private sector participation, including foreign involvement, in India’s nuclear energy sector.
India is progressing with its plans for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with substantial funding of nearly Rs 20,000 crore allocated for the purpose. The meeting also assessed the progress of various ongoing collaborative initiatives between India and the US, such as the Westinghouse AP1000 project at Kovvada and cooperation under the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Energy Working Group (CNEWG).
Additionally, the discussions touched upon future collaborations in hydrogen production, integrated energy systems, machine learning, AI applications, rare earth collaboration, and high-intensity superconducting proton accelerator technologies through partnerships with Fermilab. The meeting also reviewed advancements in the LIGO-India project, a joint effort by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science & Technology in partnership with the US-based LIGO Laboratory and the National Science Foundation.
India’s goal is to boost its nuclear power capacity from the current 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047 through a phased and well-planned expansion strategy.
