India and Russia eye nuclear, military deals

This is in line with the ‘ Make in India’ initiative.

In a move to scale up cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, India and Russian Federation are likely to sign an agreement on Kudankulam units five and six during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Eurasian country from 23 December.

New Delhi has turned to Moscow because the United States agency General Electric and Westinghouse, a US-based mostly unit of Japan’s Toshiba, are nonetheless weighing an entry into India’s nuclear power sector due to a regulation that makes reactor suppliers liable in case of an accident. The Summit would commence with a private dinner hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The document outlines plans for the construction of more than 20 nuclear power units in India; cooperation in the construction of Russia-designed NPPs in third countries as well as joint uranium extraction; the production of nuclear fuel and nuclear waste disposal.

Stating that Russian Federation has been historically an important technology partner of India, Jaishankar said: “Whether it is in super-computing, whether it is in heavy engineering, satellites on the space side and even in the area of renewable energy we think we can do a lot”. “Russia has a distinct advantage over everyone in understanding how Indian bureaucracy works, given the level of trust that exists in the Indian establishment vis-a-vis Russian Federation”, he told the media in New Delhi on Saturday.

On the nuclear energy front, the two countries are likely to inked an agreement on fifth and sixth units of the Koodankulam nuclear reactors during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country.

The DAC approval is just an “acceptance of necessity (AoN)” for Indian experts to now formally negotiate the government-to-government deal with their Russian counterparts. The top leaders of the two countries are expected to inked major agreements in the defence, economy and nuclear front.

India will be the second foreign customer for the S-400, which is designated “SA-21 Growler” by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

The DAC also cleared other modernization proposals worth Rs 25,985 crore, including the Rs 14,600-crore acquisition of six more regiments of the indigenous Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems.

In addition, Russian Federation and India are expected to discuss the agreements on the purchase of two Varshavyanka-class diesel-electric submarines, 48 Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters, 150 BMP-2/2K armored fighting vehicles and three Project 11356 frigates.