**Rosatom Engages in Confidential Talks with Indian Firms for Nuclear Power Plant Development**
Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, is currently in confidential discussions with private companies in India regarding the construction of nuclear power plants. The announcement was made by Rosatom's CEO, Aleksey Likhachev, during the recent BRICS Summit held in New Delhi. While Likhachev did not disclose the names of the Indian companies involved, he emphasized the potential for collaboration in enhancing India's nuclear energy capacity.
India aims to significantly increase its nuclear generating capacity from the current 8.87 gigawatts (GW) to 100 GW by the year 2047. This ambitious goal comes as part of India's broader strategy to diversify its energy sources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. To facilitate this expansion, the Indian government has opened the nuclear sector to greater private participation, which Likhachev described as a pivotal move.
During his remarks, Likhachev highlighted the capabilities of Indian companies in various fields, including metallurgy, construction, and advanced digital technologies. These skills are essential for large-scale nuclear power generation and were showcased at the recent INNOPROM industrial fair in New Delhi, which featured over 120 participating companies from both India and Russia.
Likhachev acknowledged the substantial challenge that lies ahead for India in commissioning a greater number of nuclear units to achieve the additional 90 GW capacity. He referred to this endeavor as a “massive challenge for the entire industry” and emphasized the importance of collaboration between Rosatom and Indian firms.
A key legislative development facilitating this collaboration is India's SHANTI Act, which permits private businesses and joint ventures to engage in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants. Likhachev described this legislation as a “breakthrough,” indicating that Indian companies are now poised to invest billions and develop gigawatt-scale generating capacity. He noted that these companies could participate in projects through the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model or take on full project management responsibilities during construction and operation.
Despite the growing role of private players, Likhachev reaffirmed that the Indian Department of Atomic Energy remains Rosatom's primary partner in government-to-government nuclear cooperation. He pointed out that approximately half of the nuclear capacity currently under construction in India utilizes Russian technology, and Rosatom is working to increase the localization of its technology in alignment with India's Make-in-India initiative.
The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, stands as the flagship project of the Russia-India nuclear partnership. The first two units of this facility, designed by Russian engineers, have collectively generated over 130 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Additionally, four more units are currently under construction, further solidifying the collaboration between the two nations in the nuclear energy sector.
Looking ahead, Likhachev projected that India's energy consumption is expected to increase by 2.5 times by the year 2050. He underscored the critical role that nuclear power will play in meeting this rising demand, reinforcing the importance of the discussions currently taking place between Rosatom and Indian companies.
As India continues to pursue its ambitious energy goals, the potential partnership with Rosatom and the involvement of private firms may significantly shape the country's nuclear landscape in the coming decades.