India, US officials discuss nuclear energy cooperation in Washington

MUMBAI: Atomic Energy Commission chairperson, A K Mohanty, and the US secretary of the department of energy Chris Wright, held discussions to explore opportunities to further strengthen Indo-US nuclear ties for mutual benefit at the sidelines of an IAEA initiative for offshore atomic energy technologies in Washington on WednesdayInsiders in the nuclear fraternity in Mumbai said the talks gain significance in the context of India planning to attain 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, which is expected to be achieved through government and private participation in the nuclear sector.The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, passed by Parliament in Dec 2025, opened the doors for private participation in the Indian nuclear arena. On Aug 17, the department of atomic energy (DAE) launched public consultation on its draft rules for the law, which was passed to modernise the country’s nuclear legal framework.Many American firms have expressed interest in setting up nuclear plants in India and are interested in the framing of the rules.DAE in a X post said: “The discussions focused on the ongoing development in bilateral civil nuclear space and policy measures.”The meeting between Mohanty and Wright in Washington on Wednesday took place prior to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) ministerial launch of a new initiative called the Atomic Technologies Licenced For Applications At Sea (ATLAS).In his statement, the India’s nuclear energy chief highlighted the country’s perspectives on the emerging role of nuclear technologies and the important part small modular reactors (SMR) in off shore energy and civilian maritime applications. The statement emphasised the importance of international co-operation and reaffirmed India’s commitment to contribute its expertise and experience to the ATLAS programme.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.