IIT Bombay launches Nuclear Engineering Programme under SHANTI Act

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 3 (ANI): IIT Bombay has announced the launch of a new Nuclear Engineering Programme coordinated by the Green Energy and Sustainability Hub (GESH). Supported by a generous contribution from an IIT Bombay alumnus from Hostel 4, the programme marks the institute's strategic response to India's evolving nuclear energy roadmap under the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025.
According to a press release, the SHANTI Act represents a landmark reform that has opened up India's nuclear sector to greater private sector participation, accelerated innovation and set a target of 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
Explaining how this policy shift is central to the Institute's approach, Prof Shireesh Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay, said, "The SHANTI Act has created the conditions for scale, innovation and wider participation. Positioned at the intersection of national policy and technological advancement, IIT Bombay's Nuclear Engineering Programme is being developed in direct response to this shift, with a focus on strengthening research, building indigenous expertise and supporting the country's long-term nuclear energy ambitions."
As per the release, a key focus of the programme will be research on thorium-based nuclear systems, leveraging India's position as one of the world's largest holders of thorium reserves and supporting the country's three-stage nuclear energy strategy. The initiative will harness the complementary, interdisciplinary expertise of several departments of IIT Bombay, such as the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Energy Science & Engineering, the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science and the Department of Electrical Engineering.
It will also establish a dedicated Nuclear Measurement Laboratory, with a focus on combining research with experiential learning, and set up deep collaborations with national laboratories, global academic institutions and industry. The programme is envisioned as a comprehensive platform for advancing research, education and innovation in nuclear science and engineering, supporting India's long-term aspirations for clean, secure and energy self-reliance, said the release.
Aligned with the evolving national nuclear policy landscape, the initiative will foster collaborations across academia, industry and government, engage emerging private sector stakeholders and drive high-impact research and technological innovation in advanced nuclear systems for the years ahead.
According to the release, the programme also reflects IIT Bombay's engagement with national clean energy dialogues such as the India Nuclear Energy Forum (INEF) 2026, which brought together stakeholders from government, industry, academia and startups to discuss India's 100 GW nuclear energy vision and key ecosystem priorities, including SMRs, supply chain development and human resource expansion.
In his address at the valedictory session of INEF 2026, recently held at IIT Bombay, Prof Abhay Karandikar, Member, NITI Aayog, highlighted the need to strengthen the nuclear ecosystem across supply chains; vendor participation; advanced reactor technologies such as SMRs and MMRs; human resource development; and startup and MSME engagement, alongside enabling greater private sector participation and innovation-led growth. (ANI)