Russia will compete with US for Indian nuclear market

JYOTI MALHOTRA

New Delhi, January 23, 2007 : From fighter aircraft to civil nuclear reactors, Russia is competing with its Cold War enemy, the US, for renewed influence in India.

Notwithstanding the fact that US president George Bush last month broke through international taboos to help allow the world to legitimately sell nuclear reactors to India, thereby uplifting it to the status of a world nuclear power, it is Russia that will be the first to take advantage of that changed scenario.

Russian deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov announced in Bangalore today that Russia would help build additional nuclear reactors in Kudankulam as well as in other sites in India.

He said an agreement to that effect would be signed when Russian president arrived in New Delhi to attend the Republic Day celebrations as chief guest.

Russian sources said they would also like the leftover of the rupee-rouble credit to pay for the construction of these nuclear reactors in India. New Delhi, however, hasn’t seemed too keen on the idea so far.

Ivanov also told reporters that Russia, with its MIG-35 combat aircraft, would ``actively participate in the tender for the supply of 126 fighter aircraft.’’

When the US was allowed to participate for the first time in the tender for 126 fighter aircraft last year, it was widely speculated that Indian gratitude for US assistance on the civilian nuclear front would take the shape of a political award of the 126 fighter jets.

Besides the US-made F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, France has fielded its Rafaele and Sweden its JAS-39 Grippen combat jet for the Indian tender.

Analysts pointed out that with Russia agreeing to sell nuclear power plants as well as pitching the Mig-35 fighter jets, ``the battle for the mind of India just hotted up again.’’

In Moscow, President Putin confirmed that Russia ``intends to help India directly in the construction of atomic energy energy facilities…our companies are (also) very much interested in acquiring large contracts for construction of new facilities.’’

He added : ``On various occasions we provided India with nuclear fuel.’’

India and Russia may also decide to jointly produce the fifth generation fighter aircraft, so as to compete with a US-European design. A protocol of intent on a multi-role transport aircraft will be signed, as will an agreement for the manufacture of RD-33 engines in India for its MIG-29 aircraft. Agreements in space cooperation will include the launch of a youth satellite.

Clearly, Ivanov was reflecting the self-confidence of an economically resurgent Russia when he told reporters that the MiG-35 fighter is ``equipped with superb engines and can be easily manufactured and maintained in India.’’

On the Kudankulam front, Russia is currently building two 1000 MW reactors under a 1989 agreement, which predated the 1992 Nuclear Suppliers Group that prohibited nuclear fuel and reactor supplies to non-NPT countries like India.

ENDS