Vasantha Raghavan, Director of the Delhi Policy Group, India

— Russia has collaborated extensively in India’s nuclear energy program with scientific assistance, nuclear fuel supply and construction of nuclear power plants

According to the UN news Centre, India’s planned 15-fold expansion of its civilian nuclear power programme over the next two decades is expected to be facilitated by the removal by suppliers in 2008 of restrictions on the supply of nuclear technology that were previously imposed on it,” the report, which will be discussed by member States at the IAEA’s annual General Conference this Septembe.

India needs a growth rate of a minimum of 9% annually for the next two decades to lift its population out of poverty. At present 50% of its 1 billion population lives below the poverty line. This growth requires massive increase in infrastructure and economic activity. The energy needs of this growth pattern cannot be met by fossil fuels alone. India has plenty of coal but it is of inferior and polluting kind. Nuclear energy offers the cleaner energy option over decades. India has developed the capability to install and operate nuclear energy plants with indigenous skills. The present calculations indicate a nuclear energy production of tens thousands of megawatts over ten to fifteen years.

Russia has collaborated extensively in India’s nuclear energy program with scientific assistance, nuclear fuel supply and construction of nuclear power plants. India has and will continue to have a wide ranging arrangement with Russia in future on nuclear energy production. Russian nuclear energy companies will certainly be at an advantage, when it comes to obtain contracts in competition with US, France and Canada.