Modi to seek Australian uranium for India's nuclear and data centre expansion during July visit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Australia in July to negotiate increased uranium exports to power India's planned nuclear energy expansion, driven by demand from artificial intelligence data centres. Australia and India signed a uranium export agreement in 2014 but have had minimal shipments over 12 years, with India now planning to nearly triple its nuclear reactor capacity by 2032. The visit reflects deepening India-Australia ties within the Quad alliance, though it has raised concerns about Australia's silence on human rights issues under Modi's government.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to visit Australia in the second week of July, including stops in Melbourne and Sydney, with a primary focus on unlocking uranium exports to support India's nuclear power expansion. India's nuclear sector is undergoing reform to meet surging electricity demand from major tech companies establishing data centres for artificial intelligence applications. Although Australia and India reached a historic uranium export agreement in 2014—after Labor removed its longstanding ban on exports to non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatories—actual shipments have been negligible, with only a symbolic delivery in 2017. India's state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation plans to add 18 new reactors by 2032, nearly tripling current capacity. The visit will also include discussions on a new defence agreement, the first since 2009, reflecting the countries' shared role in the Quad partnership as a counterweight to Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. However, the warming relationship has sparked debate about whether Australia is overlooking human rights concerns under Modi's government.
What's missing
The article does not detail India's current nuclear safety record, regulatory framework for uranium imports, or specific safeguard mechanisms that would govern Australian uranium use. Additionally, the environmental and mining implications of increasing Australian uranium production are not addressed.
What different sources said
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Modi wants Australia’s uranium to power India’s data centre boom
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