Nuclear energy to support India’s AI and data centre growth, says Jitendra Singh

NEW DELHI: Nuclear energy will play an increasingly important role in meeting India’s electricity requirements as artificial intelligence and data centres drive demand for continuous, reliable power, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Bloomberg Economy Forum 2026 on Sunday, October 20, Singh said nuclear power would complement other energy sources and support the needs of an increasingly technology-driven economy.

India is targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Singh said nuclear energy would contribute to these goals by providing a dependable supply of clean electricity.

Reaffirming the peaceful purpose of India’s nuclear programme, he recalled nuclear scientist Homi Bhabha’s vision and said peaceful applications and national development remained central to the country’s approach.

On AI, Singh said the technology should be treated as a tool with applications across sectors, including space and life sciences. He stressed that human judgement remained essential to its effective use.

“One has to be intelligent enough to use artificial intelligence,” he said.

While AI offered significant benefits, preventing misuse remained a challenge, Singh said. Alongside regulation, he emphasised the importance of integrity at the individual and national levels in ensuring responsible use.

The minister also said the government’s opening of critical and sensitive sectors to non-government participants had widened opportunities for private industry to contribute to innovation and technological development.