Russia has extended an offer to India for deeper cooperation in the localisation of both large and small nuclear power plants, strengthening their long-standing civil nuclear collaboration.

The proposal was made by ROSATOM Director General Alexey Likhachov during discussions with the Indian delegation on the sidelines of the 69th IAEA General Conference in Vienna between September 15–20, 2025.

The talks focused on broadening strategic nuclear partnership, with ROSATOM highlighting India’s strong industrial base as a foundation for local production and serial construction of Russian-designed reactors on Indian soil.

Currently, cooperation is most visible at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu, where two units are operational under Phase I, while four reactors are under construction in Phases II and III.

The new proposals build on this foundation to potentially include small modular reactors (SMRs) and series-based construction, which can significantly expand India’s nuclear generation capacity through localised manufacturing, indigenised components, and technology transfer.

ROSATOM’s strategy aims to deepen Indian participation in supply chains, marking a shift from purely turnkey projects toward collaborative industrial expansion.

The discussions also reviewed progress in ongoing projects and emphasised possible future initiatives akin to Kudankulam, including wide-scale rollouts of Russian designs adapted for Indian needs.

The engagement reflects Russia’s strategic ambition to retain India as one of its key civil nuclear partners in Asia, especially at a time when ROSATOM is simultaneously executing projects such as the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh, which has already involved Indian companies in equipment supplies under a trilateral framework.

This marks potential for India’s nuclear industry to tap into international projects via Russian partnerships.

ROSATOM, which this year celebrates the 80th anniversary of Russia’s nuclear industry, showcased its technological achievements and future vision at the annual forum, simultaneously reinforcing the long-term trajectory of Indo-Russian cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy.

For India, increased localisation of nuclear power plants—both large-scale and modular—could provide a critical avenue to meet its rising baseload electricity demand, strengthen clean energy transition goals, and boost domestic manufacturing capabilities within a highly strategic energy sector.

Agencies