India doubles down on nuclear energy ties with Russia

India is strengthening its long-standing nuclear energy partnership with Russia as it works toward a major expansion of atomic power capacity.

On Monday, speaking virtually at the conference 'India and Russia: Towards a New Bilateral Agenda', External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar positioned civil nuclear cooperation at the center of the relationship.

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"Russia is our foremost partner in civil nuclear energy and the Kudankulum Nuclear Project is a stellar example," he said. "As India aims to increase its Nuclear energy generation capacity to 100 Gigawatt by 2047, I am confident that it will find a trusted and reliable partner in Russia for peaceful uses of Nuclear Energy."

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) is India's largest nuclear power‑generation complex, located at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district. It is built and operated jointly by India's Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and Russia's Atomstroyexport (a subsidiary of Rosatom).

The remarks come months after Russian President Vladimir Putin's State visit to India in December 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, where both sides formally expanded their nuclear cooperation framework.

In a joint statement issued on December 5, the two countries confirmed plans to deepen collaboration across the nuclear fuel cycle, life-cycle support for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, and non-power applications, while also setting out a broader agenda for high-technology cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy.

They also agreed to accelerate technical and commercial discussions around Russian-designed VVER reactors, alongside joint research, localisation, and manufacturing of nuclear equipment and fuel assemblies, subject to mutually agreed terms.

Jaishankar said India and Russia share a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership rooted in trust and mutual respect. "Over decades, our mutually beneficial cooperation has advanced regional and global peace, stability, and progress. In today's evolving geopolitical dynamics, our engagement continues to deepen, driven by frequent high-level exchanges."

The December summit, he noted, expanded cooperation beyond traditional sectors, covering areas such as mobility of skilled professionals, health and food safety, maritime collaboration, fertilizers, customs and commerce, as well as academic and media exchanges.

Alongside strategic alignment, India and Russia are also targeting a sharp increase in trade volumes. "Both sides are committed to increasing the present annual trade from USD 68.7 billion to USD 100 billion by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable manner. To this effect, we must continue efforts to conclude India – EAEU FTA, address non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments, and utilise the skilled Indian workforce."

Jaishankar also pointed to the role of cultural and people-to-people ties that he said were growing based on shared appreciation for art, Yoga, Ayurveda, and culture. "The exposition of Sacred Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha from India, in Kalmykia last year, is a testament to our close cultural connect. I am confident that our new Consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg will further strengthen our economic, cultural, and social bonds," he added.

India steps up nuclear‑energy ambitions

India has stepped up its own nuclear‑energy ambitions with the launch of the 'Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat' announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, which aims to scale nuclear capacity from about 8 GW today to 100 GW by 2047.

In 2024-25, nuclear share in India's total electricity generation was about 3.1%. The Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on March 19, said that the nuclear share is proposed to be increased substantially by increasing the present installed nuclear power capacity of 8.78 GW to about 22 GW by 2031-32 and 100 GW by 2047 progressively.