Rosatom Offers India Nuclear and Critical Mineral Technologies: What It Means for India’s Energy Future

Russia has offered India a wider range of nuclear and critical-mineral technologies as New Delhi looks to dramatically expand its nuclear power capacity and strengthen access to strategically important minerals.

The proposal came on the sidelines of the BRICS 2026 Summit in New Delhi, where Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom highlighted opportunities for deeper cooperation with India in nuclear power, small modular reactors and critical-mineral technologies.

India’s 100 GW Nuclear Power Ambition

India has set an ambitious target of increasing its nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047 as part of its long-term energy strategy.

Rosatom First Deputy Director General Kirill Komarov said the scale of India's target creates opportunities for cooperation and that Russia is prepared to offer technologies ranging from large nuclear power units to small modular reactors (SMRs).

Why is nuclear power important for India?

India's electricity demand is expected to rise significantly as the economy expands, manufacturing grows and technologies such as electric vehicles, data centres and artificial intelligence require more electricity.

Solar and wind power are expanding rapidly, but nuclear energy can provide round-the-clock, low-carbon electricity.

That makes nuclear power an important component of India's attempt to balance:

• Rising electricity demand
• Energy security
• Lower carbon emissions
• Reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels
• Industrial development

Russia Already Has a Major Nuclear Presence in India

Rosatom is already involved in India's nuclear power sector through the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu.

Two Kudankulam units are operational, while four additional units are at different stages of implementation. Rosatom is currently the only foreign company constructing nuclear power plants in India, according to the company and recent reports.

Russia is also offering technologies beyond the reactor models currently being built.

One option highlighted is the VVER-1200, while Rosatom has also indicated its willingness to offer SMR technologies.

What Are Small Modular Reactors?

Small modular reactors, commonly called SMRs, are smaller nuclear reactors designed around modular construction.

Instead of relying exclusively on very large nuclear plants, SMRs could potentially provide electricity to:

• Industrial clusters
• Remote locations
• Smaller grids
• Energy-intensive facilities
• Special economic and manufacturing zones

Their smaller size could make certain projects easier to deploy, although the economics, regulatory approvals, financing and safety requirements remain important considerations.

India has been examining SMRs as part of its broader nuclear expansion strategy.

The Critical Minerals Angle

The Rosatom proposal is significant not only because of nuclear energy.

Russia and India are also looking at cooperation involving critical minerals and rare earths.

Critical minerals are materials that are essential for modern industries but can face supply-chain or geopolitical risks.

They are important for industries such as:

• Electric vehicles
• Batteries
• Renewable energy
• Electronics
• Defence equipment
• Aerospace
• Semiconductor manufacturing
• Advanced manufacturing

India has been actively seeking to diversify its sources of critical minerals and develop domestic processing and recycling capabilities.

Why India Wants More Critical Mineral Sources

China currently plays a major role in several parts of the global critical-mineral and rare-earth supply chain.

For India, obtaining access to resources in different countries is therefore increasingly viewed as an economic and strategic priority.

India has already expanded mineral cooperation with countries including Australia, Argentina, Zambia, Mozambique, Peru, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Côte d’Ivoire.

State-owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL), for example, has secured exploration and development rights for five lithium brine blocks in Argentina's Catamarca province.

Cooperation with Russia could add another source to this diversification strategy.

From Mining to Processing: The Bigger Opportunity

One of the most important aspects of India's discussions with Russia is that cooperation could extend beyond simply buying minerals.

The two countries have been exploring cooperation across the critical-mineral value chain, including exploration, processing, recycling and downstream applications.

This distinction matters.

If India only imports raw minerals, much of the economic value remains outside the country.

But if Indian companies develop capabilities for:

Mining → Processing → Refining → Manufacturing → Recycling

India can capture a much larger share of the value generated by these resources.

India-Russia Economic Relationship Gets a New Dimension

The nuclear and minerals proposals come at a time when India and Russia are seeking to expand their broader economic relationship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed expanding industrial cooperation, including manufacturing, railways, nuclear energy and critical minerals, while working towards a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030.

This indicates that the relationship is increasingly moving beyond its traditional focus on defence and energy.

New areas such as advanced manufacturing, technology, minerals and industrial supply chains are becoming increasingly important.

What Could This Mean for India?

1. Greater energy security

More nuclear capacity could provide India with a dependable source of electricity and reduce the pressure on fossil-fuel imports.

2. Faster nuclear expansion

Access to established Russian reactor technology could support India's long-term nuclear expansion plans.

3. Critical-mineral diversification

Russian resources and technology could potentially give India another source of strategically important minerals.

4. Domestic manufacturing opportunities

Technology partnerships could create opportunities for Indian companies in engineering, components, construction, mining and processing.

5. Support for clean-energy ambitions

Nuclear power can complement India's rapidly growing renewable-energy capacity by providing stable electricity.

What Are the Challenges?

The proposals do not automatically translate into immediate projects.

Nuclear projects require enormous capital investment, lengthy construction periods, regulatory approvals and strict safety oversight.

Critical minerals also present challenges because having mineral resources does not necessarily mean having the technology and infrastructure required to economically process them.

India will therefore need to focus on technology transfer, domestic manufacturing, financing, supply-chain resilience and environmental standards.

Why This Matters Beyond BRICS

The Rosatom offer comes at an important moment for India's economic strategy.

India is simultaneously trying to expand nuclear power, strengthen manufacturing, secure critical minerals and reduce vulnerabilities in global supply chains.

The Russia partnership could therefore become part of a broader strategy rather than being limited to individual nuclear projects.

The bigger story is that India and Russia are exploring cooperation across two strategically important areas—energy and raw materials—that could shape India's industrial growth over the coming decades.

Bottom Line

Rosatom's latest offer gives India potential access to large nuclear reactors, SMRs and critical-mineral technologies at a time when New Delhi is pursuing an aggressive expansion of nuclear power and seeking more diversified mineral supply chains.

If these discussions translate into concrete investments and technology partnerships, they could strengthen India's energy security, critical-mineral resilience and advanced manufacturing ambitions while adding another major dimension to the India-Russia economic relationship.