“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to use a visit to Melbourne and Sydney next month to unlock a flood of uranium imports and boost defence ties with Australia in a move that will be closely watched by China.”
“Australia and India struck a historic deal to allow uranium exports in 2014, but there have been only negligible shipments in the following 12 years.”
“India is planning a major expansion of nuclear power driven by the surging demand for new data centres used for artificial intelligence.”
“Australia’s high commissioner to India, Philip Green, told Indian outlet World is One News last week that the countries were also ‘shooting towards a new and higher level joint declaration’ on defence, noting the countries had not signed a defence agreement since 2009.”
“Labor changed its policy platform in 2011 to allow uranium exports to India, removing a longstanding ban that had been in place because India is not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
“The state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation Of India recently said the country planned to add 18 more nuclear reactors to its energy mix by 2032, almost tripling the nation’s nuclear power capacity.”