India PM Modi ends foreign tour with nuclear deals

NEW DELHI, Feb 14: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a whistle-stop diplomatic tour on Friday having secured significant pledges of support from Washington and Paris to help step up his country’s nuclear energy programme.

New Delhi has vowed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 partly by increasing the number of nuclear plants in the country from eight, which currently account for around three percent of power generation in India.

According to Agence France Press, PM Modi’s White House meeting with US President Donald Trump resulted in an agreement to build US-designed nuclear reactors in India.

India revealed a similar deal with France following PM Modi’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week.

India’s government is amending its nuclear liability law, easing operator accountability in certain situations, like natural disasters. Meanwhile, fossil fuels remain a priority, with India working to make the U.S. its top supplier of crude oil, petroleum, and LNG. Energy purchases from the U.S. could rise to $25 billion, alongside a $1.9 billion plan for critical mineral supplies.

RSS / Agence France Press