Adani Group enters nuclear power sector, floats new subsidiary after SHANTI Act
New Delhi, February 14. The Adani Group has formally forayed into India’s nuclear energy space, marking the first major private power company to do so after the enactment of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act in December 2025.
In a regulatory filing submitted to the National Stock Exchange of India on February 12, Adani Power Limited (APL) announced the incorporation of a wholly owned subsidiary, Adani Atomic Energy Limited. The filing did not provide details regarding the scale, timeline or specific projects envisaged under the new entity.
The Hindu English daily reported that when it sought a clarification from Adani Power on its nuclear energy roadmap, no response was received till the time of publication the issue.
Policy shift enables private participation
The SHANTI Act, cleared by Parliament in December, replaced the decades-old Atomic Energy Act and opened the nuclear power sector to private participation. The legislation permits private companies to operate nuclear power plants and enter into joint ventures with foreign firms for technology collaboration – a significant shift in India’s nuclear policy framework.
The first indication of the government’s intent to liberalise the sector came in February 2025, when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to allow private investment in nuclear power as part of India’s broader energy transition strategy. The government has set a target of achieving 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2047.
Political row over legislation
Adani’s interest in nuclear energy had surfaced earlier. On November 29, 2025, a senior executive of the Group, Jugeshinder “Robbie” Singh, publicly indicated its intent to explore opportunities in the sector.
During the parliamentary debate on the SHANTI Bill, Congress MP Manish Tewari questioned the timing of the legislation, suggesting it may have been introduced to facilitate the Adani Group’s entry into nuclear power.
“Is it a coincidence that the Bill has been brought at a time when the Adani Group has expressed interest in the sector?” he asked.
Following the company’s regulatory announcement, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reiterated the party’s criticism on social media platform X, alleging that the law had been expedited to benefit the conglomerate.
Nuclear energy in India
India currently has an installed nuclear power capacity of 8.8 GW, contributing roughly 3 percent of the country’s total electricity generation. The government has stated that nuclear capacity is expected to rise to 32 GW over the next decade, as part of efforts to diversify the energy mix and support long-term decarbonisation goals.
The entry of a major private player into the sector marks a new phase in India’s nuclear energy landscape, potentially reshaping investment and technology collaboration in the years ahead.
