‘Job potential emerges as key plank of SHANTI Bill’

New Delhi: The often less-discussed but potentially transformative aspect of the proposed SHANTI Bill, 2025, is the scale of employment it could generate across India’s nuclear ecosystem, from core scientific research to manufacturing, operations, and allied industries.

Government officials say the Bill is designed not merely as a regulatory reform but as an economic enabler capable of creating wide-ranging job opportunities at a time when clean, reliable energy demand is set to surge.

Beyond power generation, the employment ripple effects are expected to extend into several adjacent sectors. Mechanical operators, skilled technicians and plant personnel would be required for operations and maintenance. The opening up of research avenues to the private sector could also spur demand for nuclear scientists, physicists and engineers.

“The often lesser discussed aspect of the Act is its enormous job potential,” the Minister said, adding that scientists and researchers would find new opportunities as private participation expands.

Contrary to criticism from some Members of Parliament that the legislation would disproportionately favour large corporate players, the government maintains that the opportunity landscape is far broader.

“The cake is too big,” Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (independent charge), said, arguing that the framework offers room for participation by businesses of varying sizes.

With India entering the era of small reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), nuclear plants would no longer follow only the conventional, large coastal model. Instead, smaller facilities could be set up closer to dense industrial clusters and manufacturing hubs, opening doors for mid-sized and specialised firms,

he said, speaking exclusively to the Millennium Post.

The Bill lays out an enabling framework for private participation in nuclear power generation, while retaining sovereign control over critical areas such as fuel, enrichment and waste management.

Importantly, officials say compensation slabs have been structured with differentiated caps so that smaller investors are exposed to proportionately lower liability in the event of an accident or mishap.

This, they argue, lowers entry barriers for relatively smaller players without diluting safety norms.