New Delhi – A delegation of industry leaders from the United States recently engaged in discussions with Indian officials concerning potential investments in India‘s expanding nuclear energy sector. The discussions centered on India’s ambitious goals for nuclear power generation and recent policy changes aimed at encouraging private sector involvement.
The U.S. delegation consisted of representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). They met with Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and various other departments, to explore opportunities for collaboration and investment in the nuclear domain. Information reaching TahirRihat.com suggests that, India is keen on fostering partnerships to achieve its ambitious energy targets.
The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum played a key role in facilitating the delegation’s visit, bringing together senior figures from the U.S. nuclear industry, business executives, and officials involved in the cooperative efforts between India and the U.S. in the realm of civil nuclear energy and cutting-edge technologies. The discussions revolved around India’s Nuclear Energy Mission, recent policy reforms aimed at broadening private sector participation, and the increasing scope of cooperation between India and the United States in the areas of clean energy and crucial technologies.
Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Science & Technology, along with senior officials from the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science & Technology, as well as representatives from U.S. industry organizations, participated in the discussions. According to Daily Excelsior, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the robust partnership between India and the United States in science, technology, clean energy, and emerging sectors, noting the increasing strategic and economic importance of civil nuclear cooperation. He highlighted that the launch of the U.S.-India TRUST Initiative during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then U.S. President Donald Trump on February 13, 2025, has paved the way for new collaborations in critical and emerging technologies.
Dr. Singh emphasized that the TRUST initiative, focusing on reliable technology partnerships, resilient supply chains, and innovation ecosystems, provides a solid framework for increased collaboration among governments, industries, academic institutions, and startups in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, quantum technologies, advanced materials, critical minerals, energy, and space technologies (Daily Excelsior reported).
Referring to India’s long-term clean energy goals under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that India intends to increase its nuclear power capacity from the current 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047 through a phased and carefully planned expansion strategy (Daily Excelsior reported). He added that India’s rapidly growing nuclear energy program is creating substantial opportunities for global partnerships in manufacturing, technology cooperation, supply chain integration, and advanced research.
Dr. Jitendra Singh informed the delegation about the recent enactment of the SHANTI Act, 2025, a significant policy reform designed to facilitate greater involvement of the private sector, including foreign entities, in the nuclear energy sector (Daily Excelsior reported). He asserted that this reform is expected to foster a more favorable environment for investment, industrial collaboration, manufacturing partnerships, and technology cooperation, aligning with India’s Nuclear Energy Mission. He also mentioned that the implementation framework under the Act is being finalized to further enhance collaborative opportunities in the sector.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted India’s progress in the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), supported by an allocation of nearly Rs 20,000 crore, noting substantial potential for collaboration between India and the U.S. in advanced areas such as micro-reactors, AI-enabled nuclear safety systems, scientific computing, nuclear energy modeling, and institutional capacity building. The discussions underscored India’s commitment to expanding its nuclear energy capabilities through strategic international partnerships.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.
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