Both houses of India’s parliament have passed a landmark bill that aims to repeal existing legislation and open India’s highly restricted nuclear power sector to private participation.

The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill 2025, known as the Shanti bill, was passed by the lower house, the Lok Sabha, on 17 December, despite demands by several opposition parliamentarians that it should be referred to a parliamentary panel, raising concerns around safety, accountability and the implications of opening the sector to private companies.

On 18 December the bill was passed by the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, and can now be put forward for presidential assent.