Marseille [France], February 13 : In a significant decision concerning civil nuclear energy cooperation, India and France have concluded a declaration of intent on collaboration in co-designing, co-developing and co-producing small modular reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs).
The two sides will also be cooperating in the field of capacity building of researchers and professionals in this field. The decision was taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France.
"Given the coming revolution in AI and the demands that it will make on the energy vector, this particular area of cooperation and development of SMRs and AMRs is a particularly promising vector for India-France cooperation in the future. Thirdly, on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, we have concluded a joint declaration of intent for triangular development cooperation," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters.
"The area of SMRs and AMRs has come up in more recent times but has progressed quite quickly. And the reason that you see a letter of intent is because both countries feel that there are real possibilities in taking this forward. So the idea on this particular front is to start cooperation because this is a technology that is still in its initial stages, even in countries which are, which have been working on it for some time. Therefore we intend to be able to cooperate in co-designing the reactors, co-developing them and co-producing them, we feel this will allow us to tackle complications faced in other conventional projects," he added.
In a joint statement, PM Modi and France President Emmanuel Macron stressed that nuclear energy is an essential part of the energy mix for strengthening energy security and transitioning towards a low-carbon economy.
"Both leaders acknowledged the India-France civil nuclear ties and efforts in cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, notably in relation with the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant Project. They welcomed the first meeting of the Special Task Force on Civil Nuclear Energy, and welcomed the signing of a letter of intent on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) and the Implementing Agreement between India's GCNEP, DAE and France's INSTN, CEA for cooperation in training and education of nuclear professionals," it said.
Misri said after the CEO's forum meeting, PM Modi and President Macron travelled together to Marseille in the French presidential aircraft.
He said it was an exceptional gesture by President Macron and emblematic not only of the deep personal trust between the two leaders but also of the remarkable confidence that they have in each other and that characterizes the relationship as well.
"The Prime Minister and the President held discussions on board the aircraft. India-France relations touched new heights. These discussions on board the aircraft on several issues continued upon landing in Marseille, where the two leaders were joined by their larger delegations," he said.
Misri said that with the proposed hosting of the next AI Summit by India and the designation of 2026 as the India-France Year of Innovation, the strategic partnership is entering into a new era focused on innovation, science and technology.
Misri said India and France's partnership in the Indo-Pacific looks at providing solutions to countries in this region for their economic progress and their development in furtherance of the India-France roadmap on the Indo-Pacific.
"The idea is for the two countries to identify and implement sustainable development goals and climate-focused projects in priority sectors, including digital innovation, digital public infrastructure, clean energy, green technologies, preservation of biodiversity, women empowerment, education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation," he said.
"With the proposed hosting of the next AI Summit by India and the designation of 2026 as the India-France Year of Innovation, our strategic partnership is entering into a new era focused on innovation, science and technology. The two countries have adopted a separate declaration on artificial intelligence which identifies our key priorities in this area and explores the possibilities of cooperation given the large alignment that we see between India and France in so far as AI is concerned for instance, our shared commitment to promoting the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI for the public good. At the CEO's forum yesterday, the two leaders also launched the logo of the India-France Year of Innovation in 2026, which represents the synergy between India and France. There were also outcomes in the areas of digital sciences and startup collaboration," he added.