Putin India visit: How India–Russia civil nuclear cooperation stood the test of time in spite of global headwinds

When Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India this week, the two nations are expected to further boost civil nuclear cooperation. The Russian cabinet has reportedly cleared an MoU to this effect. Russia’s Rosatom is already building several nuclear reactors at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Russian atomic energy agency will sign the MoU with Indian authorities. This is the latest in more than half a century of civil nuclear cooperation between India and Russia, dating back to the Soviet Union days. Here is a timeline.

The Soviet-era cooperation with India on civil nuclear cooperation

At the height of the Soviet Union’s emergence as a global power in the 1950s and 1960s, India maintained broad scientific and technical exchanges with the nation.

India’s first nuclear test in 1974 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi caused outrage among Western powers, but the Soviet Union stood by New Delhi, continuing its stable political relations. In 1988, India and the Soviet Union signed the first pact on civil nuclear cooperation, to build two VVER-1000 reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. But in the years that followed, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Russia became one of the several new states emerging from the Union.

1990s to 2000s: Slow progress as Russia emerges from Soviet Union collapse

As Russia struggled with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its economic impact, the Kudankulam project slowed down. But the 2000s saw the revival and expansion of cooperation, with agreements reactivating the 1988 plan. Contracts for Kudankulam Units 1 and 2 were finalised, and the construction of the plant began in 2002.
Around this time, Russia stood by India even as much of the Western world, led by the United States, tried to stymie India’s progress towards nuclear energy, especially after the Pokhran nuclear tests of 1998 that led to several sanctions.

In 2008, India got the Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver, which lifted global restrictions on nuclear trade with India despite it being a non-signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT. Russia continued to be a key supporter and supplier of India, fulfilling its nuclear energy ambitions, with agreements on fuel supply and more reactor units.

2010s: Commissioning and new construction of nuclear power projects

Major operational milestones came in the 2010s, with Kudankulam Unit 1 reaching criticality in 2013. It entered commercial operation in 2014. Unit 2 achieved criticality in 2016 and began commercial operation in 2017. These two reactors rely on Russian VVER-1000 technology and Russian enriched uranium fuel.

In 2014, the two countries signed a strategic cooperation vision, outlining long-term collaboration and expansion of nuclear sites. The groundwork for Units 3 and 4 at Kudankulam was carried out in 2017–2018. Agreements for Units 5 and 6 were completed too.

Continuing cooperation despite geopolitical headwinds

Despite the Covid pandemic and events like the Russia–Ukraine war, the India-Russia cooperation continued, including on civil nuclear energy. Russia gives steady fuel and technical support to the reactors. Construction of Units 3 through 6 at Kudankulam is ongoing, with commissioning dates likely between 2026 and 2029.

There have been discussions on new nuclear sites in India as well as small modular reactors.

A monument to the India–Russia cooperation, Kudankulam stands tall as India’s largest nuclear power complex. Russia remains India’s only foreign partner in building nuclear power reactors on Indian soil, with lifetime fuel-supply commitments for all VVER units.