Why this role exists
Bharat Atomics is building ATLAS-150: a pool-type, sodium-cooled fast reactor SMR with a sealed metallic-fuel core, designed and built for India's heavy industries and for the AI data-centre load blocks now coming online.
For sixty-three years, private companies could not own a nuclear reactor in India. That ended on 20 December 2025 with the SHANTI Act, which repealed the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, granted the AERB statutory status, and opened licensing to private operators.
What you will own
1. Be the single point of contact for DAE, AERB and the nuclear establishment
- Own every relationship across DAE and its units i.e. BARC, IGCAR, NPCIL, BHAVINI, NFC, AMD and across AERB, on behalf of Bharat Atomics.
- Map and sequence the full licensing pathway under the SHANTI Act for a sodium-cooled fast reactor: siting consent, design approval, construction licence, commissioning and operating authorisation.
- Establish structured pre-application engagement with AERB during design.
- Run the submission machine with the engineering team and safety leads.
2. Drive policy advocacy for SMRs and private nuclear
- Lead Bharat Atomics' formal participation in SHANTI Act rulemaking and every industry consultation.
- Build and maintain the engagement map across NITI Aayog, the PMO, Ministry of Power, CEA, MNRE, MEA and MH state governments.
- Convert all of this into written product including position papers, comment submissions, briefing notes and op-eds authored with the founders.
3. Represent Bharat Atomics in the industry and in government forums
- Be present, credible and technically fluent at government consultations, and industry conferences in India and abroad.
- Build Bharat Atomics' standing as a serious technical organisation.
- Run the policy intelligence function: know what policy is coming, from whom, and on what timeline before it is public.
4. Convert government relationships into commercial and technical outcomes
- Negotiate and close collaboration agreements with DAE institutions.
- Secure the pathway for fuel supply and back-end arrangements at design stage.
- Work with state governments on land, clearances and site pathways for NEEV and for the first deployment site.
- Pursue government-linked non-dilutive funding and programme participation.
- Support early commercial conversations with PSUs, heavy industry and data-centre developers.
What we are looking for
Non-negotiable
- 12+ years across nuclear or energy regulatory affairs, government affairs, or a substantive career inside the DAE/AERB ecosystem followed by industry with direct, current, working engagement with DAE and AERB.
- A reputation that survives reference checks with people on the other side of the table.
- Startup temperament and ability to get things done is a must. This will be a single person team taking charge of policy and government engagement end to end.
Strongly preferred
- Direct hands-on experience and good working reputation with DAE or any of its affiliated institutions.
- Familiarity with fast reactors and sodium technology i.e. PFBR, FBTR or the wider private nuclear programme.
- Working knowledge of the SHANTI Act, the draft rules under consultation, or the NPCIL Bharat Small Reactor RFP process.
- Advanced degree in nuclear engineering, public policy, economics or law. Nuclear engineering combined with policy or legal training is the ideal profile.
- Existing standing in industry bodies or technical societies in the nuclear sector.