To enter NSG, India offers China slice of N-pie

India has offered China a slice of its atomic industry pie as it persuades the communist country to stop opposing its bid to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

New Delhi has indicated its willingness to start discussions with Beijing on the possibility of an inter-governmental agreement, which will provide a framework for India-China cooperation in nuclear energy sector, sources told DH in New Delhi.

China remained firm in its opposition to India’s entry to the suppliers group, when the representatives of the members of the cartel met in Vienna on Thursday.

The US and most of the other NSG members are in favour of admitting India. But since the NSG takes decisions by consensus, India may still find it difficult to get the membership if China continues to oppose its plea.

New Delhi has been trying to persuade Beijing to drop its opposition and is likely to continue its efforts over the next few days, before the NSG holds its annual plenary in Seoul on June 23 and 24.

New Delhi conveyed to Beijing that China too could be a partner in India’s ambitious nuclear power programme, sources said.

India’s “Intended Nationally Determined Contribution” to global effort to mitigate climate change would require it to generate 40% power without using fossil fuel by 2030. The government has a target to raise installed capacity for nuclear power generation from 5,780 MWe to 63 GWe by 2032.

Russia is already building reactors in India. The US and French companies are negotiating commercial agreements with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited for setting up atomic power plants in India. Canada has started supply of uranium to India. Australia will follow suit soon.

New Delhi conveyed to Beijing that it was also open to discuss possibility of India-China cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear power.

An official in New Delhi said that India and China – both committed to promote clean energy – were already in broad agreement on the need to expand their respective nuclear power programmes.