India-Russia nuclear-plant collaboration adds production localization

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant | Courtesy of the IAEA
During the recent annual India-Russia Summit in Moscow, both nations agreed to a plan for building Russian-designed nuclear reactors in India.

Under the agreement, manufacturing operations for parts and other components for the reactors will be moved from Russia to India as well.

The announcement from India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said the production-localization plan aims to lower manufacturing costs tied to nuclear-facility construction. The agreement was reached between the DAE and Russia’s Atomic Energy Corp. (Rosatom).

There are currently four reactor units in India as part of a previous India-Russia venture in the nuclear industry, housed at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, with two more reactors planned. An additional six reactors are planned for a second site in India.