A senior U.S. nuclear safety official said on Thursday that the nuclear deal between Washington and New Delhi has helped strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Safety and Security in the Bureau of International Security and Non-Proliferation Richard Stratford said going forward the nuclear deal would also pave the way for American companies to build nuclear reactors in India.
"A great deal has happened. We went in to the nuclear deal partly as per desire to build stronger bilateral relationships with the government of India. That is happening. The military ties are strengthening, the civilian ties are strengthening, people are talking to each other at high levels. We are hopeful that the trade issues will be sorted out, and ultimately U.S. companies will be able to build nuclear reactors in India," said Stratford.
India and U.S. signed a civil nuclear deal in 2008 that ended decades of New Delhi's isolation, providing it access to technology and fuel for its peaceful energy needs.
The agreement was sealed despite New Delhi testing nuclear bombs in 1974 and 1998, and never signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
In exchange for the nuclear fuel, technology and reactors, India had agreed to open up 14 civilian nuclear facilities to international inspection.
Under the agreement, India will continue to shield eight military reactors, from outside scrutiny.
Stratford ruled out offering a similar deal to India's nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan, saying that currently the US was not prepared to deal with Pakistan in the nuclear technology transfer arena.
"What we have told Pakistan is that we are not prepared to enter into a nuclear corporation agreement with Pakistan. Their argument is that they should be treated on equal basis with India with respect to civil nuclear power. Our answer to that argument is that India is at a substantially different situation. We are very proud of the Indian nuclear deal, but at this time we are not prepared to deal with Pakistan," said Stratford.
Pakistan has a chequered history of nuclear safety and A. Q. Khan, the father of its nuclear program was accused of clandestinely supplying technology know how to North Korea despite global sanctions.
At present, India has two upcoming nuclear power plants, while more than a dozen are functional.
Russian-built Kudankulam reactor, which was first conceived in 1988 and is close to being fully operationalised has faced strong protests from residents in the backdrop of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which caused radiation leak, forcing mass evacuations, the project has got delayed.
India is struggling, to meet its burgeoning electricity demand, and suffers a peak-hour power deficit of about 12 percent, which has consequently, slowed down the economy significantly.
India plans to add 63 Gigawatts of nuclear power by building 30 reactors by 2032.
