Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010
The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA), 2010 governs liability in the event of a nuclear accident in India. It diverges from the international norm (the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and the Paris Convention) by including Section 17(b), which allows the nuclear operator to seek recourse against equipment suppliers in case of accidents caused by supply defects. International nuclear suppliers — particularly US companies — have resisted entering India's market because this provision exposes them to potentially unlimited liability, contrary to the global operator-liability regime where only the plant operator is legally responsible. This has been the primary commercial obstacle delaying implementation of the 2008 agreement for 17 years.
- CLNDA enacted: August 25, 2010 (Parliament passed it on August 25, 2010)
- Section 17(b): Operator's right of recourse against supplier — unique to India; deviates from Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC)
- International standard (CSC/Vienna/Paris): Only the nuclear operator bears liability; suppliers are shielded
- India ratified the CSC in 2016, but domestic CLNDA still applies; conflict unresolved
- Impact: US suppliers (Westinghouse, GE-Hitachi) have been reluctant to finalize contracts
- Holtec approval (2025) represents a potential workaround via indemnity structures
● Tracked since May 20, 2026 · last seen September 26, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes