Lokesh invites Russia's Rosatom to set up small reactors in A.P. for power generation

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Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh (second from right) at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum-2026 in Russia. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh invited Rosatom, the global nuclear technology leader based in Russia, to establish next-generation Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for power generation in Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) and also a Nuclear Medicine and Food Irradiation Center by utilising available plug-and-play space to boost India’s pharmaceutical sector and agricultural exports.

Mr. Lokesh met Abakumov Evgeny, Director, IT and Digitalization, and Kvyatkovsky Egor, International Director General, of Rosatom, in St. Petersburg on Friday.

During the meeting, he also proposed the construction of a nuclear desalination plant in one of the State’s mega industrial parks. He urged them to consider setting up a manufacturing unit for nuclear-grade alloys and carbon-fiber composites in the State’s mineral belt/corridor to support aerospace and defence sectors.

Mr. Evgeny stated that Rosatom was operating in India out of New Delhi in partnership with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), managing India-Russia nuclear power agreements, engineering contracts and in the localisation of equipment.

He explained that Rosatom was advancing the prestigious Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project by supplying advanced VVER-1000 reactors, nuclear fuel and lifelong technical support. It was partnering with Indian manufacturers to produce heavy industrial components, valves and wind energy equipment domestically, he said, assuring the Minister that the A.P. government’s proposals would be examined.