Big nuclear play: Rosatom plans multiple projects in India, says cooperation has ‘always been a priority’

Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom’s Director General Alexey Likhachev believes the current geopolitical climate has given “new reasons and additional impetus” to nuclear cooperation between India and Russia.

Speaking to RT News, Rosatom’s head said, “Expanding nuclear cooperation between India and Russia has always been a priority, always on the agenda. But this year, new reasons and additional impetus have emerged.”

Likhachev was in Mumbai to meet Department of Atomic Energy chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty.

India-Russian nuclear development: ‘Inspiring task’

He noted that the Indian government plans to significantly increase nuclear generation capacity by “tenfold” over the next 20-25 years, “from the current 10 GW to 100 GW, and this is a very inspiring task”.

“Our Indian friends shared with us today, approximately half of these tasks will be accomplished through traditional interstate cooperation and significant part will be implemented, possibly with the involvement of international investment and private capital,” Likhachev added, giving details.

India replaced other countries amid sanctions?

He added, “Part of the Indian localisation was laid down at the design stage and part (was) carried out, as they say, on the fly, replacing supplies from countries that began to threaten us here or actually implement their sanction threats.”

Likhachev was also vocal about “adapting on the fly”, as countries began imposing their sanction threats, adding that friendly countries like India have “replaced” countries who “demonstrated disloyalty to their obligations”.