India’s nuclear power push gets uranium boost from new Australia pact

India’s civilian nuclear power programme is set to receive a boost after India and Australia signed a civil nuclear agreement enabling commercial uranium supplies from Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced following talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in Australia.

The agreement is expected to diversify India’s energy sources and strengthen long-term energy security in line with the SHANTI (Safe and Holistic Advancement of Nuclear Technology for India) Act, which aims to expand India’s nuclear power capacity while ensuring safe and responsible use of atomic energy, according to outcome details shared by the Ministry of External Affairs.

“Today, we have signed an important agreement in the field of nuclear energy. This will open the way for uranium supplies from Australia to India and give new impetus to our clean energy objectives,” Modi said. Albanese said the arrangement would help Australia “increase the share of non-fossil fuel power capacity, providing an additional market for the Australian resources sector.”

Alongside the nuclear pact, the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, with Modi announcing the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains and plans for a critical minerals corridor.

The two leaders also issued a joint declaration on defence and security cooperation, including plans to connect defence startups through the India-Australia Defence Innovation Corridor and expand maritime cooperation.