According to www.thehindubusinessline.com, Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal held talks in New Delhi on September 26, 2026 with Bernard Fontana, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of French energy company EDF, to review progress on deploying European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) technology in India.
Nuclear Technology and Regulatory Framework
The discussions centred on the deployment of EPR technology, India’s regulatory reforms for the nuclear sector, cooperation on pumped hydro storage projects, and the way forward for a robust, mutually beneficial partnership, according to the Ministry of Power’s release. Agarwal briefed the French delegation on progress in finalising India’s regulatory framework, including the Draft SHANTI — Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Rules and Regulations, which have been placed by the Department of Atomic Energy in the public domain for stakeholder consultation.
The draft rules provide for a streamlined, time-bound licensing framework and enable participation of private and foreign partners in India’s nuclear power programme, the ministry stated. This marks a concrete step toward opening India’s nuclear energy sector beyond state-owned entities, aligning with broader energy diversification goals under the 2026 timeline.
Supply Chain Localisation and Industrial Scale-Up
EDF apprised the Indian side of its efforts to build an ecosystem and supply chain in India for large-scale localisation, the Ministry of Power confirmed. The company reiterated that “a sizeable programme with multiple nuclear reactors would give suppliers confidence and enable economies of scale by leveraging Indian industry’s capabilities,” according to the official release.
This statement underscores the linkage between project scale and industrial readiness: without a multi-unit commitment, domestic suppliers lack the volume certainty needed to invest in specialised nuclear manufacturing. The push for localisation targets components across reactor pressure vessels, steam generators, and control systems — all requiring certification under India’s evolving Nuclear Energy regulatory regime.
Officials from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of External Affairs, Central Electricity Authority, NTPC Limited, and NPCIL attended the meeting from the Indian side, while EDF and the Embassy of France in India were represented from the French side — confirming cross-ministerial and intergovernmental coordination at the highest operational level.
Pumped Hydro Storage and Joint Ventures
Cooperation on pumped hydro storage projects formed a distinct pillar of the dialogue, building on the proposed NTPC-EDF joint venture in this area. Such projects are critical for grid stability as India scales up variable renewable generation, and the collaboration signals an expansion beyond nuclear into complementary clean energy infrastructure.
The joint venture framework reflects a growing trend of pairing baseload nuclear capacity with flexible storage — a strategy increasingly adopted by nations targeting net-zero electricity systems by mid-century. With September 26, 2026 as the official date of record for these talks, implementation timelines for both EPR deployment and pumped hydro development are now formally anchored in bilateral diplomacy.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
