“As a friend of India, I would like to see India making full use of nuclear energy to enable it to sustain its 10 per cent growth rate,” said the IAEA Secretary- General who is on a four-day visit  here from Monday.

The invitation was extended to the IAEA chief by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh,  one and half years back.

Besides the Foreign Minister, the IAEA chief is expected to have a meeting with the foreign secretary on Wednesday. He will meet the Prime Minister on Thursday.

Mukherjee briefed El Baradei about the 123 Agreement between India and the USA and its implications for India’s energy needs.

Depleting reserves
Noting that India was a fast developing country with growing energy demands, El Baradei said up to 70 per cent of petroleum used in India was imported and coal reserves were fast depleting.

India currently has 17  nuclear power plants in operation with a total installed capacity of 4120 MW and five more with an installed capacity of generating 2260 MW is under construction.  All are likely to be completed by 2008 end. For the subsequent years the Department of Atomic Energy has drawn up an ambitious roadmap to scale up the nuclear power generation capacity manifold within a short span by installing many bigger reactors.

But the plan’s realisation depends on the Indo-US nuclear deal.