Nuclear Cooperation, Space, Economic Cooperation and Energy Sector

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Nuclear Cooperation

  • Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project
  • Negotiations for setting up units 3&4 at Kudankulam
  • Atoms troy export, a subsidiary of the State-owned nuclear company Rosatom, is building two 1000 MW reactors in Kudankulam in collaboration with NPCIL
  • Atomstroyexport handles international nuclear project of Rosatom
  • Inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the field of use of Atomic Energy for peaceful purposes
  • Russia supports India՚s candidatures to all export control regimes, including the NSG
  • In June 2011, they signed a MoU on Russian cooperation in India՚s ‘Global Centre for Nuclear Energy’ initiative < this centre is to be set up in Haryana >

Space

  • Under the aegis of the Inter-Governmental Agreement signed in 2004, Russia and India cooperated in the Chandrayan-1 project
  • Involved in the joint development of Chandrayan-2
  • Human Space Flight Project
  • Youth sat was jointly developed by Indian-Russian students
  • Indian access to the Russian GLONASS navigation system

Economic Cooperation

  • USD 8.5 bn in 2010
    • India՚s imports: USD 6.4 bn
    • India՚s exports: USD 2.1 bn
  • Target to increase bilateral trade to USD 20 bn by 2015
  • Indo Russian Forum on Trade and Investment

Energy Sector

  • In 2001, OVL acquired 20% stake in Sakhalin-I oil and gas project
  • Gazprom and GAIL have collaborated in joint development of a block in the Bay of Bengal
  • Nuclear energy < already discussed >

Science and Technology

  • Cooperation through the Integrated Long-Term Programme of Cooperation
  • Development of SARAS duet aircraft, semiconductor products, supercomputers, poly-vaccines etc

North South Transport Corridor

The route is expected to reduce the cost of movement of goods between India and Russia and beyond

International Issues Cooperation

  • Russia supports India՚s bid for permanent UN seat
  • India set to become a member of the Russia-China led SCO
  • Cooperation in anti-terrorism

Cultural Cooperation

  • Strong tradition of Indian studies in Russia
  • Close cooperation between universities
  • 2008: Year of Russia in India
  • 2009: Year of India in Russia

However

  • Economic ties are still too weak
  • Bilateral trade is near $ 10 bn, but it is only a fraction of each country՚s trade with China
    • India-Russia have promised to expand the two-way trade to $ 20 bn by 2015.
  • India has been becoming closer to the US
  • Russia has responded to India՚s tilt towards US by exploring options in Pakistan
    • In 2009, a meeting was held of what has come to be known as the Dushanbe Four: Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Tajikistan

Medvedev՚s Visit to India (December 2010)

30 agreements signed

Civil Nuclear

  • Setting up two more reactors at Kudankulam (Tirunelveli) postponed on the liability issue
  • Russian reactor is due to come up at Haripur in West Bengal, besides Kudankulam
  • Cooperation in joint research and development in reactor technology

Defence

First ever collaboration in producing a next generation fighter aircraft. Contract for the preliminary design of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft signed between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Russia՚s Roseboro export and Sukhoi. This is the biggest defence programme in India՚s history and involves production of 200 - 250 aircraft. The aircraft would be called Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF)

Hydrocarbons

MoU between Sistema, a telecom-petro giant with rights over two lucrative hydrocarbon fields, and ONGC Videsh

Space

India to get access to the Russian satellite constellation, the Global Navigation Satellite System

Trade

CECA to be signed to push bilateral trade to $ 20 bn by 2015.