‘Private entry into nuclear was tougher than space reform’: Jitendra Singh on India’s civil atomic power push

“Even nuclear sector stakeholders are used to working behind a veil of secrecy. Opening it up was a major shift,” Singh said.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said India is working to resolve global private sector concerns around nuclear liability as it prepares to unlock the civil nuclear energy sector, long seen as one of the last frontiers of government monopoly. The goal: a tenfold rise in atomic power capacity by 2047.

Speaking to PTI in an exclusive interview, Singh acknowledged that bringing private investments into nuclear energy will require significant legal reform, including changes to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act. Both are key legislative barriers that have historically kept private and foreign players at bay.

‘Even space was easier’: Singh credits Modi’s push to break nuclear secrecy

Calling the nuclear reform “even tougher than space sector liberalisation,” Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “personal indulgence” for pushing through the decision.

“Even nuclear sector stakeholders are used to working behind a veil of secrecy. Opening it up was a major shift,” Singh said.

He stressed that India must shed such silos to match global standards and meet its 2047 vision of becoming a top-ranking global economy.

Why the private sector has been reluctant, and what’s changing

The private sector, especially foreign suppliers, has remained wary of India's nuclear liability regime, fearing exposure to unlimited compensation claims in case of an accident.

To address this, the government plans to amend the liability law. Singh explained that the operator (such as NPCIL) will hold primary responsibility in case of an incident, followed by limited liability for suppliers, with the nuclear insurance pool stepping in beyond that.

“It is just that suppliers had their own apprehensions from a business point of view. We’re confident we can reassure them,” he said.

From Jaitapur to Kovvada: Long-stalled projects back in focus

Foreign suppliers allocated sites in Jaitapur (Maharashtra), Mithi Virdi (Gujarat), and Kovvada (Andhra Pradesh) have long held back due to the liability clause. Singh reiterated that India has consistently clarified its position, “this is a misplaced apprehension.”

He also pointed out that India is a signatory to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which provides a multilateral framework for liability and compensation.

From 8.7 GW to 100 GW
India currently generates 8,780 MWe of nuclear power and aims to reach 22,480 MW by 2031-32. But the ultimate vision is to achieve 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047, which cannot be met without private sector participation.

To support this, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is also working on Bharat Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) of 50–300 MW capacity, ideal for retrofitting older thermal power plant sites.

Singh stressed that India’s development path must align with international benchmarks: “To become a developed country by 2047, our strategy has to be global. That means integrated approaches, not silos.”

(With inputs from PTI)