Less than six months after a landmark legislation opened up India’s nuclear sector, a high-powered American delegation is visiting the country. The purpose: To take stock of India’s nuclear energy landscape and to communicate the American industry’s interest.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Maria Korsnick, President and CEO of the Washington DC-based Nuclear Energy Institute, who is leading the delegation, talks about how India’s SHANTI Bill creates a clearer opening for private-sector participation and how N-energy melds with the present scenario where energy security is a key imperative among countries rattled by the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the West Asia war.
Edited excerpts:
Q: What are the kind of interactions/meetings the nuclear mission from the US is having with government and industry leaders in India?
A: We are having exactly the kinds of conversations we hoped to have. We are meeting senior government leaders, public-sector institutions and private-sector companies, talking about India’s nuclear ambitions, the role private industry can play, and how US and Indian companies can work together in a practical way.
This delegation brings together US companies across the nuclear sector — reactor technology, fuel, engineering, construction, transportation, services, and the supply chain. So, the conversations are not abstract. They are about what it would take to build projects, support India’s energy goals, and create long-term industrial partnerships.
India has a strong nuclear foundation of its own. What is exciting now is the possibility of joining that, with the experience of the US nuclear industry.
Q: How do you think the passage of the SHANTI Bill — allowing private players in the nuclear energy domain — will foster collaboration between India and the US?
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A: For many years, there has been strong interest on both sides. What has been harder is creating the policy and business environment where companies can actually move forward. The SHANTI Bill creates a clearer opening for private-sector participation.
That matters because the US nuclear industry is built around private companies that design, build, finance, operate, service, and support nuclear projects. If India is creating more room for private industry, there is a natural opportunity for US and Indian companies to work together.
And I want to be clear: this is not only about US companies coming to India. It is about partnership with Indian companies that have engineering talent, manufacturing strength, construction capability, and a deep understanding of this market.
Q: Are there any apprehensions since the rules have yet to come out? Would the mission members from the US wait till that point before making any announcements?
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A: Companies need to understand how the new framework will work in practice. That is true in any market, and it is especially true in nuclear energy. But we do not see this as a reason to stand back. We see this as the right time to engage.
The SHANTI Bill created the opening. Now the question is how that opening becomes a workable path for projects, investment, supply-chain partnerships, and long-term cooperation.
We are not here to lecture India or present a list of demands. We are here to help identify practical ways for US and Indian companies to work together as the rules are developed. As for announcements, companies will make their own commercial decisions.
Q: How do you think nuclear energy melds with the present scenario where energy security is a key imperative among countries rattled by the Strait of Hormuz crisis/West Asia war?
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A: This is exactly why nuclear energy matters. Countries need energy that is reliable, that is secure. They need energy that is not exposed every day to fuel-price shocks or geopolitical disruption.
Nuclear energy provides large amounts of electricity around the clock. It is clean, dependable, and the fuel can be managed in a way that gives countries much greater energy security than systems that depend heavily on volatile global fuel markets.
That matters for India. It matters for the United States. It matters for every country trying to power industry, manufacturing, cities, data centres, and economic growth in a more uncertain world. Nuclear energy is not the only answer. But it has to be part of the answer.
Q: Do you think the SHANTI Bill takes forward the India-US nuclear agreement signed around two decades ago?
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A: The civil nuclear agreement was a historic moment. It changed what was possible between India and the US. But agreements by themselves do not build projects. Companies build projects. Workers build projects. Supply chains build projects. Regulators, governments, and industry: all have to create the conditions where nuclear energy can move from ambition to deployment.
The SHANTI Bill can help take that earlier promise into a new phase. I see this as a continuation of the vision behind the civil nuclear agreement — but with a much more practical focus now on how we actually get things done.
Q: Does the US have nuclear energy collaborations with other countries, especially in Asia? Is the Indian market among top priorities/potential partners in this regard?
A: The US nuclear companies work with partners around the world, including in Asia. India is absolutely one of the most important potential partners. That is because of the scale of India’s energy needs, the strength of its industrial base, its long history in nuclear energy, and the strategic relationship between our two countries.
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India is not simply a market. India can be a major partner in the future of global nuclear energy.
Q: How has the response been from industry leaders here towards joint ventures (JVs) and collaboration? How do you think it will benefit Indian players?
A: Indian industry leaders are asking serious, practical questions. They are looking at where they can participate — manufacturing, engineering, construction, services, technology, fuel-cycle support, and project development.
JVs and partnerships can help Indian companies move into higher-value parts of the nuclear supply chain. They can create opportunities not only for projects in India, but also for Indian companies to become part of global nuclear commerce.
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For US companies, India brings scale, talent, industrial capacity, and long-term energy demand. For Indian companies, US partnerships can bring technology, project experience, global market access, and nuclear-specific know-how.
The best partnerships will be built on what both sides bring to the table.
