Media reports Russia proposing to India new nuclear tech

(MENAFN) Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom has offered to transfer small modular reactor (SMR) technology to India as the country looks to expand its nuclear energy capacity. According to the Economic Times, Rosatom is exploring the possibility of setting up SMRs along India’s coastal areas. This offer follows ongoing cooperation between the two countries, with Rosatom currently involved in the construction of India’s largest nuclear facility, the Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu.

In 2024, several agreements between Russia and India reinforced their intention to collaborate on SMR technology. During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in July, both Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin toured the Atom Pavilion, where they were introduced to various nuclear technologies, including nuclear-powered icebreakers and floating power plants. Rosatom’s director, Aleksey Likhachev, shared that Russia could offer SMRs to India with deep localization, covering all aspects of construction.

While Rosatom remains the sole foreign company involved in building nuclear plants in India, the SMR sector has also attracted interest from the US and France. The development follows India’s recent announcement of a $2.35 billion Nuclear Energy Mission aimed at deploying five SMRs by 2033, as part of its strategy to increase clean energy output and achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. SMRs, which are smaller and more modular than traditional reactors, can be deployed in remote areas where large plants would be impractical.

MENAFN04022025000045015687ID1109165293