India’s plan to expand nuclear power capacity from the present 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047 has opened a new window for global industry partnerships, with a high-level US industry delegation holding talks with Union Minister Jitendra Singh on private investment, Small Modular Reactors and advanced nuclear technologies.
In a statement on Monday, 18 May, the Ministry of Science and Technology said the delegation included representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USIPF).
The delegation’s visit was facilitated by the USIPF and brought together senior representatives from the US nuclear industry, business stakeholders and officials linked to India-US cooperation in civil nuclear energy and advanced technologies.
The discussions focused on India’s Nuclear Energy Mission, recent policy reforms enabling greater private sector participation, and the expanding scope of India-US cooperation in clean energy and critical technologies.
Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Rajesh S Gokhale, senior officials from the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology, along with representatives from US industry organisations, participated in the talks.
Singh said India and the United States share a strong and future-oriented partnership in science, technology, clean energy and emerging sectors, with civil nuclear cooperation steadily gaining strategic and economic significance.
He said the launch of the US-India TRUST Initiative during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on 13 February 2025 had opened new avenues for collaboration in critical and emerging technologies.
According to the ministry, the TRUST Initiative is centred on trusted technology partnerships, resilient supply chains and innovation ecosystems.
Singh said the initiative provides a framework for deeper engagement among governments, industry, academia and startups in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, quantum technologies, advanced materials, critical minerals, energy and space technologies.
Referring to India’s long-term clean energy goals under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, Singh said the country aims to increase its nuclear power capacity from 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047 through a phased and carefully planned expansion strategy.
He said India’s expanding nuclear energy programme is creating major opportunities for global partnerships in manufacturing, technology cooperation, supply chain integration and advanced research.
The minister informed the delegation that India has recently enacted the SHANTI Act, 2025, a major policy reform aimed at facilitating greater participation of the private sector, including foreign participation, in the nuclear energy sector.
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He said the reform is expected to create a more enabling ecosystem for investment, industrial collaboration, manufacturing partnerships and technology cooperation aligned with India’s Nuclear Energy Mission.
Singh added that the implementation framework under the Act is being finalised to further strengthen collaborative opportunities in the sector.
The minister said India is also moving ahead with plans for the development of Small Modular Reactors, supported by an allocation of nearly ₹20,000 crore.
He said there is significant scope for India-US collaboration in advanced areas such as micro-reactors, AI-enabled nuclear safety systems, scientific computing, nuclear energy modelling and institutional capacity building.
The discussions also reviewed progress in ongoing India-US collaborative initiatives, including the proposed Westinghouse AP1000 project at Kovvada and cooperation under the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Energy Working Group.
Other areas discussed included hydrogen production and integrated energy systems, machine learning and AI applications, rare earth collaboration, and high-intensity superconducting proton accelerator technologies through Fermilab partnerships.
The meeting also covered progress in the LIGO-India project, which is being jointly implemented by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology in collaboration with the US-based LIGO Laboratory and the National Science Foundation.
The ministry said the LIGO-India project has been approved with a budgetary provision of ₹2,600 crore and is regarded as one of the most significant examples of advanced scientific collaboration between India and the United States.
The release also included photographs showing Singh meeting members of the US industry delegation and participating in round-table discussions with representatives from both sides.
The interaction concluded with a shared commitment to deepen practical, industry-led and mutually beneficial cooperation between India and the United States in clean energy, nuclear technologies, advanced manufacturing and innovation-driven sectors.
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