US industry delegation to explore cooperation in civil nuclear sector

Organised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and the Washington DC-based Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the delegation visit is expected to focus on expanding collaboration in civil nuclear projects between Indian and American companies.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor is expected to meet the delegation from US. The delegation’s is also expected to hold meetings with Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The US delegation comprises senior leaders of the US nuclear energy industry, reflecting the range of capabilities required to support a modern nuclear power programme.

The development has come after India opened up its tightly regulated nuclear sector to private players and enacted the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act in December last year.

The SHANTI Act replaces the Atomic Energy Act, 1964, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CNLD) Act, 2010, which earlier imposed stricter liability provisions that were seen as a barrier for global firms entering the Indian market.

Both countries are also looking at cooperation in small modular reactors (SMRs), considered a next-generation nuclear technology due to their flexibility and potential to replace retiring coal-based power plants.

US officials are also pushing for faster SMR deployment and renewed focus on nuclear fuel recycling and reprocessing, an area the US has not actively pursued since the 1970s.

India has set an ambitious target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, up from the current installed capacity of about 9 GW. Major private players in the country such as Tata Consulting Engineers, Adani Group, and Larsen & Toubro have also shown interest in entering the civil nuclear sector.

Following the India–US civil nuclear agreement signed in 2008, two sites—Chhayamithi Virdi in Gujarat and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh—were earlier earmarked for US-built 1,000 MW nuclear power plants.