US and India Deepen Civil Nuclear and Technology Ties

U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced a strategic push to deepen civil nuclear cooperation through private sector-led solutions during the Citi 2026 India Conference in Mumbai on June 3, 2026. The initiative aims to expand India's nuclear capacity to meet rising power demands, supported by the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act. This legislation eases previous liability laws that had deterred global private suppliers.

Maria Korsnick, CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, led a 20-member U.S. industry delegation to India to explore these opportunities, specifically highlighting small modular reactors. Both nations are pursuing aggressive capacity expansions by 2047, with India targeting 100 GW and the U.S. aiming for 400 GW. The U.S. expects three small modular reactor pilot projects to go critical by July 4, 2026.

This nuclear cooperation is part of a broader strategic alignment including the TRUST initiative and the US-India Critical Minerals Framework, designed to protect supply chains from coercive market practices. The partnership is further bolstered by massive private investments, including $35 billion from Amazon and $17.5 billion from Microsoft. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch have provided high-level diplomatic support to finalize an interim trade deal and strengthen the bilateral relationship.