US Sees India as Key Partner in Nuclear Growth Push: NEI Chief

India’s strong supply chains , engineering expertise and growing manufacturing base make it the ideal partner for the United States as both countries embark on ambitious nuclear energy expansion plans, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) President and CEO Maria Korsnick has said.

Speaking to PTI, Korsnick said India’s decades of experience in nuclear energy and its vast pool of technical talent complement America’s strengths in innovation and advanced reactor technology. She described the partnership as a “perfect marriage” at a time when both nations are pursuing some of the world’s most ambitious nuclear growth targets.

India plans to increase its nuclear power capacity from 8.78 GW to 100 GW by 2047 , while the US aims to expand capacity from around 100 GW to 400 GW over a similar period. Industry leaders see significant opportunities in reactor construction, fuel supply, engineering services and manufacturing as both countries scale up deployment.

The renewed optimism follows the passage of the SHANTI Act , a landmark reform that opens India’s tightly controlled nuclear sector to greater private participation and seeks to address long-standing concerns over supplier liability. The legislation is widely viewed as the biggest breakthrough in India’s civil nuclear sector since the India-US civil nuclear agreement signed in 2005.

Although that agreement ended India’s nuclear isolation and paved the way for cooperation, commercial projects largely failed to materialise after the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 imposed liability provisions that many foreign suppliers considered too risky. The liability issue became the principal obstacle to US investment for nearly two decades.

A key area of future collaboration is expected to be Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and other advanced nuclear technologies. During a recent US industry mission to India, discussions with Indian officials focused heavily on SMRs, clean energy cooperation and private-sector participation.

US companies are now exploring opportunities worth billions of dollars in India’s nuclear market, but experts say the success of the partnership will depend on how quickly New Delhi finalises implementation rules and regulatory frameworks. Critics, meanwhile, argue that reducing supplier liability could weaken accountability and compensation mechanisms in the event of a nuclear accident.