Why Civil Nuclear Energy Is Emerging As A New Pillar Of India–UAE Relations
Leveraging the SHANTI Act, India and the UAE aim to collaborate on advanced nuclear technologies, safety, and operations, reshaping bilateral energy cooperation.
Published : January 20, 2026 at 7:06 PM IST
New Delhi: India and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) decision to promote bilateral civil nuclear cooperation marks a significant broadening of their strategic partnership into a high-technology and long-term domain.
Coming amid growing global focus on clean energy, energy security, and advanced technologies, the move reflects a shared recognition that nuclear power will play a critical role in meeting future electricity demand while supporting climate commitments.
The cooperation seeks to capitalise on the policy and regulatory space opened by India’s Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act 2025. By agreeing to explore partnerships in large nuclear reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs), advanced reactor systems, nuclear plant operations and maintenance, and nuclear safety, both sides are signalling intent to move beyond conventional energy cooperation toward technology-driven collaboration with strategic and commercial implications.
For India, the partnership aligns with its push to rapidly expand nuclear capacity as a source of reliable, low-carbon baseload power, while attracting international expertise and investment under a reformed nuclear framework. For the UAE, which already operates commercial nuclear power plants and is positioning itself as a clean energy leader, the engagement with India offers an opportunity to deepen technological cooperation and play a larger role in shaping nuclear energy solutions for emerging economies.
“To capitalise on the new opportunities for civil nuclear cooperation in the light of the passage of the SHANTI Act in India for sustainable harnessing and advancement of nuclear energy for transforming India, the two sides decided to explore partnership in advanced nuclear technologies, including development and deployment of large nuclear reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), as well as cooperation in advanced reactor systems, nuclear power plant operations and maintenance, and nuclear safety,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said while addressing a special media briefing on Monday following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who was on a short three-hour visit to New Delhi.
According to a joint statement issued by the two sides following the talks, both leaders welcomed the enactment of the SHANTI law, noting that it creates new opportunities for enhanced civil nuclear cooperation.
The Government of India passed the SHANTI Act in December 2025, marking a watershed moment in India’s clean energy policy and a step toward its ‘net zero’ goal of climate change. It overhauls India’s nuclear energy framework, replacing the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act, 2010, to allow limited private and foreign participation in nuclear power generation, operation, and equipment manufacturing, while strengthening state control over strategic aspects and creating a clearer liability regime with capped operator liability and supplier immunity, aiming to boost clean energy and investment.
By agreeing to explore partnerships in large nuclear reactors, SMRs, advanced reactor systems, nuclear plant operations and maintenance, and nuclear safety, India and the UAE are signalling intent to move beyond conventional energy cooperation toward technology-driven collaboration with strategic and commercial implications.
For India, the partnership aligns with its push to rapidly expand nuclear capacity as a source of reliable, low-carbon baseload power, while attracting international expertise and investment under a reformed nuclear framework. For the UAE, which already operates commercial nuclear power plants and is positioning itself as a clean energy leader, the engagement with India offers an opportunity to deepen technological cooperation and play a larger role in shaping nuclear energy solutions for emerging economies.
The Gulf nation, which already operates the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the prime contractor of which is the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), sees nuclear power as a proven pillar of its clean energy mix and a key component of its post-hydrocarbon future. Partnering with India allows the UAE to diversify its nuclear engagement beyond traditional Western suppliers and position itself as a hub for advanced nuclear technologies in the Global South.
According to Robinder Sachdev, president of the New Delhi-based Imagindia think tank, the UAE sees that fossil fuel will go away in the future.
“It is looking at a post-fossil fuel scenario,” Sachdev told ETV Bharat. “It is looking at alternative sources of green energy. Nuclear energy is one source that the UAE has narrowed down on as the energy source of the future, along with green hydrogen. So, they are making investments in both the sectors – civil nuclear energy and green hydrogen.”
In this connection, he referred to the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, as mentioned above, located at Al Dhafra of the emirate of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Under a $20-billion deal announced in December 2009, four Korean-designed APR1400 reactors have been built at the Barakah site by a consortium led by KEPCO. The units entered commercial operation between April 2021 and September 2024. The plant provides about 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity needs.
“The UAE has shown that it is interested in large nuclear power plants,” Sachdev said. “Meanwhile, SMRs are emerging as a popular option for countries planning to expand nuclear energy. In India, we have our own indigenous technologies for SMRs. So, this partnership with India makes good sense for the UAE.”
Harsh V Pant, Professor of International Relations with King’s India Institute at King’s College London and Vice-President (Studies and Foreign Policy) at the Observer Research Foundation think tank, said that given how the UAE is trying to modernise its economy, there is a degree of emphasis on green technology.
“Nuclear is the debate the future of energy is going,” Pant said. “The UAE is looking at energy sources beyond oil and gas. And India has one of the oldest civil nuclear energy plans.”
He said that though India is not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), after signing the civil nuclear agreement with the US in 2008, New Delhi has signed similar deals with a range of other countries. These include Russia, Namibia, Canada, Argentina, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Czech Republic, Australia, Sri Lanka and the UK.
“Such civil nuclear deals lead to technology transfer and peaceful power generation,” Pant further explained. “India is an active player in that space.”
To sum up, the decision to promote civil nuclear cooperation represents a forward-looking and strategic convergence between India and the UAE. By leveraging the SHANTI Act 2025 and focusing on advanced reactors, SMRs, safety, and operations, both countries are positioning nuclear energy as a cornerstone of their clean energy futures. Beyond energy, the partnership underscores growing strategic trust, technological ambition, and a shared vision of sustainable development, making it a significant milestone in India–UAE relations.
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