Powering India’s Future: The Crucial Role of Nuclear Energy in India’s Sustainable Growth
India Energy Week 2025, held from February 11 to 14 in New Delhi, underscored nuclear energy's pivotal role in India's sustainable energy future. Described as “momentous” by World Nuclear Association’s Director General, Dr Sama Bilbao y León and billed as the second largest energy event in the world, it attracted more than 70,000 delegates from 50-plus countries, including more than 20 ministers.
Dr Sama Bilbao y León championed nuclear on the main stage at the traditionally oil and gas-focused event, in a panel on nuclear’s future role in the clean energy mix. Dr Bilbao y León featured alongside panelists from the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), India's NITI Aayog public policy think-tank, and the nuclear wing of Indian state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC). The panel was moderated by the International Energy Agency's Nobuo Tanaka.
The positive context had been set by major government announcements. First, India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, announced India’s ambition to expand its nuclear capacity to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2047, and plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act, and its plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, to encourage private and foreign investment in the nuclear sector. Then during the week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced significant civil nuclear bilateral cooperation plans with the United States and France.
On his return to India, Prime Minister Modi was the guest of honour at The Times Group ET NOW Global Business Summit 2025 at which Dr Bilbao y León underlined the essential role of nuclear in providing clean, economical and reliable energy to power India’s future. You can watch Sama’s on stage conversation with Heena Gambhir from The Times Network here.
World Nuclear Association’s wider engagements during India Energy Week played out against this backdrop of media interest, and policy and entrepreneurial positivity for nuclear energy. Dr Bilbao y León was interviewed about the growing demand for nuclear energy by CNBC, CNA and Bloomberg, and Reuters, among others. The Association hosted an exclusive side event and dinner to connect with key personnel in the Indian nuclear supply chain.
India’s move towards more nuclear energy is part of the global shift towards cleaner and more secure energy. Nuclear energy currently generates 9% of the world's electricity. 31 countries, as well as the largest names from the global finance sector, the nuclear industry and beyond, support the goal to at least triple global nuclear capacity by 2050.
