Russian sources are confirming details of major business cooperation pacts signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendrra Modi this week that involves an array of sectors including nuclear power, satellite systems, helicopters, medicine, oil exploration and humanitarian concerns.
President Putin told reporters the agreements include plans to build over 20 nuclear power plants in India and to cooperate with construction of Russia-designed nuclear power facilities in third countries. Calling a major portion of the deal “long-term mutually beneficial cooperation in the nuclear sector,” Putin said that “extraction of natural uranium, production of nuclear fuel and waste elimination,” were also part of the package.
Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russian-owned nuclear power giant Rosatom, was quoted in Russian media as confirming an agreement for construction and equipment for the third and fourth blocks of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, including cement foundations slated construction starts in early 2016.
Rosatom also confirmed the deal involved 12 new nuclear power reactors by 2035, which includes the two at the Kudankulam NPP, which were announced in April.
Cooperation for that project in southern India dates back to November 1988 and completion of the plant's first 1,000-megawatt reactor, which became operational in October 2013. Construction of Block 2 has been completed, but it remains off grid, while final adjustments are made.
The deals announced this week include a 10-year, 10 million tons per year oil contract between Russian energy giant Rosneft and Indian conglomerate Essar, a $100 million satellite system to serve India's emergency response and global positioning needs, and cooperative construction of as many as 600 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters to replace the Indian Army's aging Cheetah/Chetak fleet. Indian median said the first phase of the helicopter deal included orders for 384 Kamov 226 T helicopters.