Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an nuclear energy roadmap, setting a target of 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047 and committing to commission five new nuclear reactors within this decade.

Speaking from the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, he said, “Energy security is the demand of the time. With the SHANTI Act passed in Parliament, we have created the framework to achieve our goal. Our goal is to achieve 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity. We aim to start five new nuclear reactors in this decade,” positioning nuclear as a cornerstone of India’s strategy to secure baseload power for chips, AI, data centres and heavy industry.

The SHANTI Act provides the legal and regulatory backbone for this expansion, enabling faster clearances, stronger safety oversight and greater private and public investment in nuclear projects while maintaining strategic control.

SHANTI Act, 100 GW by 2047 and PFBR criticality: Building the nuclear backbone

PM Narendra Modi said India has taken a decisive step towards self-reliance in nuclear power with the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, attaining criticality this year, a milestone in mastering fast breeder technology and closing the nuclear fuel cycle.

“We have set a target of 100 GW nuclear energy, setting up five new nuclear reactors. We have passed the SHANTI Act in Parliament and set a target of achieving 100 GW nuclear power by 2047,” he said, indicating that the new law provides the legal and regulatory framework needed to scale up nuclear capacity while maintaining safety and strategic control.

The “SHANTI Act” referenced by PM Modi in his I-Day speech is the common name used in government communications for the Indian Nuclear Energy Act, 2026 (also referred to in official briefs as the Civil Nuclear Energy Act, 2026), enacted by Parliament in early 2026 to create a modern legal and regulatory framework for large-scale expansion of civil nuclear power in India.

The law replaces and consolidates earlier provisions under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and related rules, and is designed to enable higher private and public participation, streamline licensing and safety clearances, facilitate international technology partnerships, and strengthen liability, waste management and safeguards regimes while keeping strategic fuel-cycle activities under state control.

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According to the Department of Atomic Energy and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), the SHANTI Act introduces a single-window clearance mechanism for new reactors, defines roles for an independent nuclear safety regulator, allows long-term power purchase agreements and financing models needed for gigawatt-scale projects, and lays the groundwork for India’s target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047, including the planned commissioning of five new reactors in this decade.

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Why nuclear now? Weaponisation of resources, sea routes and import dependence

The nuclear push comes amid growing geopolitical risks, with PM Modi warning that the “weaponisation of resources and strategic sea routes” by some countries poses a direct threat to India’s economic security. Without naming any country, he said fuel, medicines and technology are increasingly being used as instruments of geopolitical pressure, while key maritime corridors like the Strait of Hormuz are being disrupted by conflict.

The Strait handled about 20 million barrels per day of oil and petroleum products in 2025—roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade—and almost 20% of global LNG trade, leaving major Asian importers like India highly exposed.

“India, which imports nearly 90 per cent of its crude oil requirements and about half of its natural gas needs, is seeking to tap its largely underexplored offshore reserves as part of a broader push to strengthen energy security,” he said.

‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in energy: From import dependence to domestic capability

PM Narendra Modi framed the 100 GW nuclear goal and the plan for five new reactors as central to making India self-reliant in energy and shielding the economy from global shocks.

“It is our conviction that India must not be dependent on other countries. We must become self-reliant. We have to strengthen our capabilities and protect our national interests. That is why, with the resolve of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, we are moving forward,” he said.

With the SHANTI Act in place, PFBR criticality achieved, offshore exploration scaled up and sedimentary basins opened, the nuclear and broader energy roadmap is now positioned as a core pillar of India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.

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From 70 to 700 cities: Piped gas, solar jump to 160 GW and cleaner growth

PM Modi tied the nuclear and offshore push to gains already made in cleaner, more secure energy access over the last 12 years. He said piped cooking gas coverage has expanded from 70 cities to 700 cities, with the fuel now supplied to 1.75 crore households as against 22 lakh in 2014, offering an alternative to LPG that is largely imported from the Middle East.

On renewables, he said electricity generation from solar energy has jumped to 160 GW from just 2 GW a decade ago, underlining how nuclear, solar and domestic hydrocarbons are being combined to build a diversified, low-carbon energy mix.

Offshore exploration, open basins and diversification: Reducing external shocks

To cut vulnerability to overseas supplies, PM Modi highlighted the recently approved Rs 84,084-crore ‘Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme’, aimed at accelerating oil and gas exploration in deepwater and ultra-deepwater areas over the next five years through seismic surveys, exploratory drilling and shared offshore infrastructure.

He also said the government has opened up 99 per cent of India’s sedimentary basins for oil and gas exploration and production, expanding access to areas that were previously off-limits to commercial exploration.

In parallel, India has broadened its energy sourcing, now importing crude from 41 countries and LNG from 15, up from 27 and six respectively, to insulate the economy from price and supply shocks. In 2024–25, crude oil imports were valued at about USD 137 billion, with petroleum products and LNG imports worth USD 24 billion and USD 15 billion respectively.

Railways, hydrogen trains and 100% electrification: Powering mobility with clean electricity

On the demand side, PM Modi highlighted how rapid electrification is reducing fossil fuel dependence in transport. “Railway electrification in India began in 1925. Yet, over nearly 90 years, only 30% of the railway network had been electrified. In just the last decade, India has achieved 100% railway electrification. This has significantly reduced dependence on imported diesel while also contributing to a cleaner environment. India has also taken another major step forward with the launch of its first hydrogen-powered train,” he said.

The fully electrified rail network, coupled with emerging hydrogen technologies, is positioned as a key pillar of India’s strategy to use clean electricity—including future nuclear power—to decarbonise heavy mobility.

Digital, defence and manufacturing boom: Energy as the enabler of high-growth sectors

Prime Minister Modi linked energy security to India’s rapid growth in digital, defence and manufacturing sectors, arguing that modern economies cannot run without reliable, large-scale power.

“In the last 12 years, defence production has increased nearly fourfold, while output from Khadi and village industries has grown almost fivefold. Electronics manufacturing has expanded nearly sevenfold. The production of modern railway coaches has risen 21-fold, and mobile phone production has surged 33-fold. The number of internet users has nearly quadrupled, patent grants have increased fourfold, and digital transactions have grown a hundredfold,” he said.

Behind this surge is a massive rise in electricity demand, which the 100 GW nuclear target is meant to support alongside solar, hydro and other non-fossil sources.

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Governance reforms and citizen effort: “Transformation witnessed for the first time since independence”

PM Modi said the energy push is part of a wider transformation in governance and public amenities, with “thousands of compliance requirements eliminated” and “hundreds of archaic laws repealed” to speed up investment and implementation.

“We have provided tap-water connections at an average annual rate 15 times faster than before. Gas connections have been provided at six times the previous annual speed. We have constructed toilets for the poor at four times the annual pace and provided housing for the underprivileged at three times the previous rate. The speed and scale at which this work is executed—this momentum, this expansion, and these achievements—represent a transformation witnessed for the first time since independence, all within the last decade,” he said.

PM credited this progress to the “unwavering resolve and dedication” of citizens across regions and communities, from Dalits and tribals to women, youth and the middle class.