The Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field  was signed on October 5 by Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, and Kamlesh Vyas, Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission, on the margins of the 19th India-Russia Summit in New Delhi.

The parties agreed to work on a project to construct six Russian-designed nuclear power reactors on a new site in India. No exact location has been revealed so far.

The Action Plan also specifies that the new reactors will be built under the VVER design, an evolution of Generation III+  with a demonstrated history of successful commercial operation.

At present, civil nuclear cooperation between Russia and India is concentrated around the construction of a Russian-designed nuclear power plant near Kudankulam. The construction site is located in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. It will be home to six VVER-1000 nuclear power reactors. The project was commissioned by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). As of now, Units 1 and 2 of Kudankulam NPP are operational and generating power. “First concrete” for Units 3 and 4 was poured in 2017. Preparations are underway at Units 5 and 6, with “first concrete” expected to be poured in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

In total, Rosatom will build at least 12 Russian-designed nuclear reactors in India by 2034.

In addition to the construction of power reactors, the Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field also provides for joint projects in third countries and partnerships in other civil nuclear areas. Indian companies are currently engaged in construction and installation works at the Rooppur nuclear site in Bangladesh.