NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s stop at Cadarache, the home of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) site on Wednesday, is seen as a significant step in harnessing nuclear energy for global good.
The visit reinforces India’s position as an important partner in the global endeavour to develop clean nuclear fusion energy, official sources explained.
France’s Cadarache centre is the largest energy research site in Europe, hosting 19 basic nuclear installations (BNI) and a secret BNI, including reactors, waste stockpiling and recycling facilities, bio-technology facilities and solar platforms.
ITER presently under construction at Cadarache and is expected to create its first plasma in the coming years. When it becomes operational, ITER is hoped to be the first large-scale fusion reactor to produce more energy than is used to initiate its fusion reactions The collaborative scientific initiative aimed at revolutionising global energy systems, benefits from India, which is a key partner in this world-class project. India’s nuclear power generation has nearly doubled from 4,780MW in 2014 to 8,180MW in 2024. Looking ahead, the country is targeting an ambitious 22,48MW by 2031-32. India is also leveraging atomic energy to drive innovation in other critical sectors. In agriculture, nuclear techniques have been instrumental in developing 70 mutagenic crop varieties. The healthcare sector has also benefitted from these advances, with the introduction of advanced isotopes for cancer treatment that offer more precise and effective therapy.
The defence sector also has seen practical applications, such as the creation of cost-effective, lightweight bulletproof jackets.
Moreover, India’s abundant thorium reserves – comprising 21% of the global total – position the country as a potential important player in safer, more sustainable nuclear energy alternatives.
Under the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat, the Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated 20,000 crore for the research and development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). This substantial investment aligns with India’s plan to augment power from nuclear sources.