India’s Ministry of Power and France’s Électricité de France (EDF), a major nuclear utility, have confirmed their intention to deepen cooperation on nuclear energy and renewable storage. A high-level meeting on 25 September 2026 in New Delhi between India’s Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal and EDF Chairman Bernard Fontana reviewed plans to deploy advanced nuclear reactors in India and build local manufacturing capacity for nuclear components.
The discussions signal India’s effort to attract foreign investment in its nuclear sector following recent regulatory reforms. Participants included officials from India’s Ministry of Power, Ministry of External Affairs, Central Electricity Authority, state nuclear operator NPCIL and power giant NTPC, alongside EDF representatives and France’s embassy in India.
Key facts
- Meeting held 25 September 2026 in New Delhi between India’s Secretary (Power) Pankaj Agarwal and EDF Chairman Bernard Fontana
- Focus areas: EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) technology deployment, nuclear supply chain localization, and pumped hydro storage cooperation
- Indian participants included Ministry of Power, Ministry of External Affairs, Central Electricity Authority, NTPC and NPCIL
- France represented by EDF and its embassy in India
- India has drafted SHANTI (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) Rules for regulatory framework
What India and EDF discussed
The two sides explored three main areas of cooperation. First, they reviewed the deployment of EPR reactors, a modern nuclear technology developed by EDF. Second, they discussed India’s evolving regulatory environment for nuclear power, including recent reforms that now permit private and foreign companies to participate in India’s nuclear energy programme. Third, they identified pumped hydro storage as a complementary technology, where NTPC and EDF are already exploring a joint venture.
EDF emphasized that establishing local suppliers and a manufacturing ecosystem in India would require confidence that India would place multiple reactor orders. The company noted that a large-scale, sustained programme would allow Indian industry to achieve economies of scale and reduce costs over time by using local capabilities.
India’s new nuclear regulatory framework
The Power Secretary briefed EDF on India’s progress in creating a modern regulatory framework for nuclear power. The Department of Atomic Energy has drafted the SHANTI Rules and Regulations and placed them in the public domain for consultation with stakeholders. These rules aim to replace older procedures with a streamlined, time-bound licensing process that can accommodate both government and private sector participation, as well as foreign companies investing in India’s nuclear sector.
This regulatory shift is significant because India’s nuclear programme has historically been restricted to public sector operators like NPCIL. Opening the sector to private and foreign investment represents a major policy change intended to accelerate nuclear capacity additions and attract technology and capital from countries like France.
Supply chain and localization ambitions
EDF’s interest in building a nuclear supply chain in India addresses a long-standing Indian policy goal: reducing dependence on imports and creating domestic manufacturing capability. The company explained that suppliers need visibility of a substantial, multi-reactor programme to justify investments in factories and workforce training in India. A single or occasional reactor order offers insufficient certainty to warrant such commitments.
This discussion reflects India’s broader industrial ambition to manufacture advanced technology domestically rather than importing finished products. It also ties into India’s Make in India initiative, which encourages foreign companies to set up production in the country.
Pumped hydro storage cooperation
The two sides also explored joint projects in pumped hydro storage, a technology that stores energy by pumping water uphill during periods of low electricity demand, then releasing it to generate power when demand is high. NTPC and EDF are already working on a joint venture in this area. Pumped hydro storage is relevant to India’s expansion of renewable energy because it helps manage the variability of solar and wind power by providing a flexible, large-scale storage solution.
What this means for you
If India and EDF proceed, the outcomes could affect energy security, electricity costs and employment. A successful nuclear programme would add baseload capacity, reducing India’s reliance on coal-fired power plants. This supports India’s climate commitments and air quality goals. Manufacturing jobs in the nuclear supply chain could emerge if localization succeeds. Electricity consumers may eventually benefit from stable, lower-carbon power generation, though nuclear projects involve long lead times and high capital costs. Students and professionals in engineering and manufacturing may find new opportunities in nuclear technology sectors.
The cooperation also signals India’s openness to strategic partnerships with advanced economies in clean energy technology.