India and France Reaffirm Power Sector Cooperation
Shri Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary of the Ministry of Power, met with Mr. Bernard Fontana, Chairman and CEO of EDF France, on September 25, 2026, in New Delhi to review ongoing engagement between India and EDF on the proposed deployment of EPR nuclear reactors in India. The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of External Affairs, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), NTPC Limited, and NPCIL on the Indian side, and officials from EDF and the Embassy of France in India on the French side.
Nuclear Energy Cooperation and Regulatory Reforms
The discussions centered on the deployment of EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) technology and India's regulatory reforms for the nuclear sector. EDF apprised the Indian side of its efforts to build an ecosystem and supply chain in India for large-scale localization, emphasizing that a sizeable program with multiple nuclear reactors would give suppliers confidence and enable economies of scale by leveraging Indian industry's capabilities.
Secretary Agarwal briefed the French side on the progress made in finalizing India's regulatory framework for the nuclear power sector, including the Draft SHANTI (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) Rules and Regulations. These rules, placed by the Department of Atomic Energy in the public domain for stakeholder consultation, provide for a streamlined, time-bound licensing framework and enable participation of private and foreign partners in India's nuclear power program.
Pumped Hydro Storage Collaboration
The two sides also discussed cooperation on pumped hydro storage projects, building on the proposed NTPC-EDF joint venture in this area. This collaboration represents an expansion of the energy partnership beyond nuclear technology into renewable energy storage solutions.