India Business Law Journal – March 2026

Nuclear’s legal ‘lightbulb’ moment

At long last the door opens to private participation in the nuclear energy sector

Globally, governments are rediscovering nuclear power as they seek reliable, low-carbon energy to meet growing electricity demands. Ageing grids, climate commitments, the expansion of solar energy, and the limitations of oil and gas have pushed many countries to extend reactor lifetimes, revive small modular designs, and invite private capital to accelerate delivery.

From whether nuclear energy fits into the future, the question has shifted to the speed at which it can be deployed, and the appropriate regulatory frameworks that will quicken the transition. Our Cover story explores India’s decisive step in this debate. For six decades, the country kept its nuclear energy under rigorous state control, restricting technology partnerships and effectively shutting out private operators.

The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, now seeks to break that tradition. Earlier restrictions have been replaced by a modern regulatory and liability framework, and crucially allow licensed private companies to build and operate nuclear plants. The move mirrors a practical necessity along with a new realisation: India’s goal of 100 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2047 cannot be met by the state alone.

As India redefines the contours of the country’s energy strategy the legal profession, too, is experiencing its own moment of transformation on the global stage.

It is against this backdrop of economic confidence and regulatory renewal that we turn to The International A-List 2026, which celebrates lawyers connected to India, and with international backgrounds, through their exceptional work on cross-border structuring and transactions.

As per the Economic Survey of India conducted by the Ministry of Finance, the country’s economic outlook for 2025-26 remains robust, with official estimates projecting real GDP growth of about 7.4%. Infrastructure investment is being supported by platforms such as REITs and InvITs, while renewable energy projects are continuing to scale rapidly.

For International A-List lawyers, this environment demands more than technical expertise. Clients expect advisers who can interpret fast-moving regulatory changes and offer commercially grounded, forward-looking guidance.

This expanding international outlook was equally evident at one of the year’s most significant gatherings for the global legal community, in late February in New Delhi. The 2026 Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Meeting and Conference brought together more than 850 lawyers from around the world for four days of substantive discussion, debate and networking.

India Business Law Journal attended as the conference’s official media partner, reporting from the ground throughout the sessions, interviews and social events. The IBLJ team followed the key themes reshaping the profession, capturing the mood of a gathering that blended technical insight with the practical concerns facing lawyers across jurisdictions.

Beyond the formal sessions, the event created space for genuine connection, culminating in celebrations that showcased India’s cultural breadth. For IBLJ, it was an opportunity to offer a clear view of a conference remembered for its energy, inclusiveness and forward-looking tone.

The impact of legal innovation is visible in the transactions that define India’s dealmaking landscape. Deals of the Year 2025 offers a snapshot of this momentum, reflecting the legal ingenuity behind some of the country’s most significant deals. With 62 winners this year, the awards highlight both scale and long-term significance. From matters settled in courtrooms to transactions shaped in boardrooms, the list showcases the diverse range of legal developments that shaped the year.

It is worth noting that every landmark transaction reflects the growing influence of India’s in-house legal professionals, whose roles have expanded far beyond traditional boundaries. This evolution is captured in our In-House Counsel Awards, which celebrate a profession transitioning from support function to strategic leadership.

The strongest performers are those who embed forward legal thinking into day-to-day decision-making, guide complex transactions, and build governance frameworks capable of withstanding scrutiny.

These shifts are also reshaping India’s regional legal markets, where new hubs are emerging with distinct identities and strengths. Our article titled Bengaluru’s legal blend explores a city that is standing at the forefront of this change.

Once known as India’s “garden city”, Bengaluru has evolved into the country’s leading technology and startup hub, nurturing a legal ecosystem that is younger, more entrepreneurial and more adaptive than those in traditional centres such as Mumbai and New Delhi.