India and Russia are on the brink of unveiling a significant nuclear energy partnership during the two-day visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India, beginning December 4, 2025. This collaboration could see Russia play a crucial role in India’s nuclear future, especially as India aims to achieve its ambitious target of 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
Growing Nuclear Cooperation Between India and Russia
During President Putin’s visit, an important announcement is expected regarding Russia’s involvement in India’s nuclear energy sector. The potential agreement may include Russia supplying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to India or becoming more integrated into India’s privatized nuclear industry.
Russia’s state-run nuclear corporation, Rosatom, is already heavily involved in India’s nuclear energy development. It is currently supplying six 1,000 MW reactors to the country, with two units operating at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and four more under construction at the same site.
Given the evolving global energy landscape, India and Russia are likely to expand their nuclear cooperation. This move is particularly significant as India has also joined forces with the United States to develop next-generation SMRs for both domestic use and export markets. In a joint statement from 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed their commitment to advancing SMR technologies.
read also: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Meets Russian Delegation in New Delhi
What Are Small Modular Reactors?
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with a power output of less than 300 MW, are gaining global attention for their factory-built design, shorter construction timelines, longer operational cycles, and reduced safety risks. These reactors are seen as a key to addressing the global demand for clean, sustainable, and flexible nuclear energy solutions.
Rosatom has already launched a functional floating SMR, the Akademik Lomonosov, in Pevek, Russia. This floating reactor could serve as a reference model for India as it seeks to implement SMR technology.
SMRs offer a safer and more cost-effective alternative to traditional large reactors, especially in terms of construction time and operational efficiency. However, per MW, they may be more expensive to build and operate than conventional large reactors.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that the existing safety regulations for large reactors will also apply to SMRs, although some standards, such as buffer-zone requirements, may be adjusted due to their smaller size and lower risk profile.
For instance, an SMR might only require a buffer zone extending to the plant’s boundary, whereas large reactors typically need a 1 km exclusion zone. The IAEA expects a wide deployment of SMRs, including microreactors, by 2030.
India’s Ambitious Nuclear Energy Roadmap
India has committed to developing its own SMR technology, building on decades of successful nuclear energy operations. The country’s 220 MW PHWR (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) design has now been redesignated as the *Bharat Small Reactor*. India plans to work closely with the private sector to develop the *Bharat Small Modular Reactors* (BSMR), co-develop next-generation reactors, and explore advanced nuclear technologies.
India’s roadmap for SMR development includes the following initiatives:
- 50 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactors (BSMR)
- 5 MWt gas-cooled micro modular reactors (GCMMR, approximately 2 MWe)
- Other advanced technologies to contribute to the country’s goal of reaching 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047
Additionally, India is launching a new *Nuclear Energy Mission* with an investment of ₹20,000 crore to support research and development, as well as demonstration plants. This includes a 200 MWe loop-type BSMR and a 5 MWt gas-cooled hydrogen-generating reactor.
By 2033, India aims to operationalize at least five indigenous SMRs. The country intends to derive 41 GW of its 100 GW nuclear target from SMRs by 2047, with the remaining 59 GW to come from a mix of existing and future reactors.
India’s Nuclear Energy Expansion
India’s nuclear energy expansion plans also include:
- 8.18 GW from existing capacity
- 7.3 GW from reactors under construction or commissioning
- 7 GW from sanctioned projects in the pre-project stage
- 15.4 GW from indigenous PHWRs under the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
- 17.6 GW from foreign Light Water Reactors (LWRs)
- 3.8 GW from fast breeder reactors (BHAVINI)
India’s SMR strategy is focused on utilizing aging thermal plants, providing power to energy-intensive industries (with units around 200 MW), and serving remote regions with 50 MW plants.
Technological Developments and Future Prospects
While water-cooled BSMRs and SMRs are considered technologically mature, India has also begun design work on gas-cooled reactors, which are expected to play a role in the future nuclear energy landscape. High-level discussions between Indian and Russian nuclear officials have explored cooperation in both large and small reactors, the nuclear fuel cycle, and the localization of equipment manufacturing in India.
Rosatom’s Director General, Alexey Likhachev, has expressed Russia’s readiness to support India in its quest to scale nuclear capacity to 100 GW, with proven technologies that can be deployed both domestically and internationally.
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