Union Minister Jitendra Singh said nuclear energy would play an increasingly important role in meeting India’s electricity needs, including the growing demand from artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres, while reiterating the peaceful development objectives of the country’s nuclear programme.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Bloomberg Economy Forum 2026, Singh said the vision of nuclear programme architect Dr. Homi Bhabha continued to guide India’s use of nuclear technology for national development.
He linked the expansion of nuclear power to India’s targets of achieving 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Nuclear energy, he said, would complement other power sources by providing a continuous and reliable supply of clean electricity.
The Minister said AI applications and data centres required substantial, uninterrupted power, making dependable electricity infrastructure essential to a technology-driven economy.
Discussing AI’s wider role, Singh described it as a tool applicable across sectors, including space and life sciences, and stressed the importance of human judgement in its deployment.
“One has to be intelligent enough to use Artificial Intelligence,” he said.
While AI offered significant benefits, preventing its misuse remained a challenge, Singh said. Alongside regulation, he emphasised individual and national integrity as essential to responsible use.
The Minister also highlighted the government’s opening of critical and sensitive sectors to non-government players. He said this had expanded opportunities for private industry to contribute to innovation, technological advancement and national development.
Singh said reliable energy supplies, responsible adoption of emerging technologies and wider private participation would support India’s long-term development ambitions.
Published: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 | 5:51 PM IST