March 13, 2019
India’s Nuclear Power Corporation is currently operating 22 commercial nuclear power reactors
The latest partnership is part of strengthening of bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation
The two sides held the third round of the India-US Space Dialogue for future joint space projects
In 2018, GE Power had signed a deal to lead the design of Jaitapur nuclear plant in Maharashtra
The Governments of India and US have committed to a partnership to build six new nuclear power plants across India, according to a joint statement on March 13. The latest partnership is part of strengthening of bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation. The decision was taken during the 9th round of the India-US Strategic Security Dialogue held in Washington DC, during when US also reaffirmed its strong support for India’s early membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group. At the event, the Indian delegation was led by Vijay Gokhale, foreign secretary, while the US delegation was led by Andrea Thompson, under secretary of state for Arms Control and International Security.
On the occasion, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to work together to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state entities. On March 12, the two sides held the third round of the India-US Space Dialogue, where they discussed trends in space threats, respective national space priorities, and opportunities for cooperation bilaterally and in multilateral fora. The meetings come amid growing cooperation between the nations, especially across the fields of defence, trade and technology. Last year, the nations have also held the inaugural bilateral Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue in New Delhi.
The 2+2 Dialogue, which commemorated 70 years of India-US diplomatic cooperation, saw the signing of a number of critical agreements, including one to expand India’s status as Major Defense Partner (MDP) of the US as part of a broader initiative to promote better defense and security cooperation. The growing ties have allowed improved opportunities in civil nuclear energy. Last year, GE Power had signed a deal to lead the design of the conventional island for the Jaitapur nuclear plant in Maharashtra and supply its main components. The company will also provide operational support services and training programme to respond to the requirements of the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd.