In a significant development, the US will soon remove Indian nuclear entities, many of them government entities, from the restricted list to spur civil nuclear cooperation. In a speech in Delhi on Monday, US NSA Jake Sullivan said, “Biden Admin is determined to take the next major step in cementing this partnership. The US is finalizing the necessary steps to remove the longstanding regulation that has prevented cooperation between India’s leading nuclear entities and companies. Formal paperwork will be done soon.”
The Indian entities that could be soon off the US entity list include the Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Center and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
The US NSA further added, “This will be the opportunity to turn the page on the frictions of the past and create opportunities for entities who have been on the restrictive list of the US to come off the list and enter into deep cooperation with our private sector, scientists to move civil nuclear cooperation.”
India-US civil nuclear cooperation began with the 2005 agreement between then US President George Bush and Indian PM Manmohan Singh. It was formally signed in October 2008, allowing India to engage in civil nuclear trade with the US despite not being a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The deal has been pivotal in reshaping India-US relations, giving India a ‘special’ status in terms of nuclear technology transfer and international recognition as a responsible nuclear state.
The announcement by US NSA Jake Sullivan in Delhi would help in further cementing civil nuclear cooperation with technology transfer and shows the deepening India-US strategic partnership. With easier access to US nuclear technology and materials, India might accelerate its plans for expanding nuclear energy capacity, which is crucial for its energy security and reducing carbon emissions.
US NSA Jake Sullivan, who is on an India visit, met NSA Ajit Doval and EAM Dr S Jaishankar earlier in the day. This is the last foreign visit of Sullivan as US NSA as the incoming Trump administration takes charge later this month.