New Delhi: The United States has indicated a renewed push to strengthen civil nuclear engagement with India following the passage of New Delhi’s landmark nuclear energy legislation, viewing it as an opening for closer strategic and commercial collaboration.
The issue was discussed during a recent phone conversation between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Rubio congratulated India on enacting the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act and expressed interest in building on the reforms introduced by the new law.
According to a US State Department summary of the call, Rubio said Washington was keen to leverage the legislation to broaden US–India cooperation in civilian nuclear energy, create new avenues for American firms, strengthen shared energy security objectives and support resilient supply chains for critical minerals.
The discussion also covered ongoing negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepening economic engagement. Regional and global issues featured prominently as well, with the two leaders reiterating support for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Jaishankar later described the exchange as constructive, noting that it spanned a wide range of strategic priorities. In a post on social media platform X, he said the conversation touched on trade, nuclear collaboration, defence ties, energy cooperation and critical minerals, adding that both sides agreed to stay closely engaged.
The outreach comes at a delicate phase in India–US relations, which have seen some strain in recent months over trade-related disputes, including US tariffs and concerns surrounding India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. Against that backdrop, the focus on nuclear energy and critical mineral partnerships is being seen as an effort to reinforce longer-term strategic alignment.
India’s Parliament cleared the SHANTI Bill in December, and it subsequently received presidential assent, replacing decades-old legal frameworks governing the nuclear sector. The new law allows greater private sector participation in nuclear power generation while maintaining state oversight over sensitive areas such as uranium mining, fuel processing and enrichment.
By permitting private companies to build and operate nuclear power plants, the legislation is expected to accelerate India’s clean energy transition, attract foreign investment and modernise regulatory structures. For Washington, it also presents an opportunity to re-engage in a sector that has long been constrained despite the landmark India–US civil nuclear agreement signed nearly two decades ago.
Both governments appear keen to use the momentum generated by the SHANTI Act to advance cooperation in technology, energy security and industrial supply chains, even as they navigate short-term economic and political challenges.
