NEW DELHI, October 21, 2026 – Reaffirming the founding vision of the nation’s scientific endeavors, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that India’s nuclear programme is strictly dedicated to peaceful purposes and national development, not warfare.
The Minister made these remarks during an exclusive interview with the US-based news agency Bloomberg, held on the sidelines of the ‘Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026’ in New Delhi. Dr. Singh emphasized that nuclear energy will play an increasingly critical role in meeting India’s future energy requirements, particularly in supplying the continuous and reliable electricity needed to support the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and large-scale data centers.
Recalling the vision of Dr. Homi Bhabha, the principal architect of India’s nuclear programme, the Minister highlighted that the commitment to the peaceful application of nuclear technology remains central to India’s strategy. He contextualized India’s nuclear ambitions within its long-term sustainable development goals, noting that the country is aggressively targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047 and is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070. Nuclear energy, he explained, is expected to heavily complement other renewable sources to ensure a steady supply of clean electricity.
Linking the energy sector with the next phase of global technological growth, Dr. Singh stated that the expansion of AI and data centers demands dependable baseline power that nuclear energy is uniquely positioned to provide.
Touching upon the expanding role of AI, the Minister advised that Artificial Intelligence should be viewed as an instrumental tool applicable across diverse sectors—from space exploration to life sciences—rather than as an independent domain. Emphasizing the indispensability of human judgment, he remarked, “One has to be intelligent enough to use Artificial Intelligence.”
While acknowledging the significant advantages of AI, Dr. Singh cautioned about the challenges of preventing its misuse. He stressed that integrity at both the individual and national levels is fundamental to responsible technological application, praising the appreciable efforts made in this direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Minister also noted the Modi government’s progressive approach in opening critical and sensitive sectors to non-government players, expanding the scope for private sector participation to foster innovation and accelerate national development.
Published by True Roots Media Network