International
oi-Swastika Sruti
India in its biggest development, has signed an agreement with Australia to export Uranium to India for peaceful civilian use. This deal was signed during the 3rd India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne where PM Modi met Australian PM Anthony Albanese.
This deal ends a long delay that had prevented Australian uranium from reaching India, even though both countries had signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement more than a decade ago.
Australia will export uranium to India for peaceful civilian use under a new agreement signed by PM Modi and Australian PM Albanese in Melbourne, aiming to support India’s goal of 100 GW nuclear power by 2047 with IAEA oversight.
Australia to Supply Uranium to India
Yes, now Australia will be exporting Uranium to India that will help India surge its use of clean energy while creating new business opportunities for the Australian mining sector. This opens the door for cooperation in many other sectors as well.
It must be known that India and Australia had signed a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2024, but uranium exports never started because both the nations did not complete the rules needed to monitor and manage the supply. No doubt Australia follows strict rules in exporting uranium as it wants to believe that it is used in a peaceful process.
#WATCH | Melbourne | Delivering joint press statement with PM Modi, Australian PM Anthony Albanese says, “Today, we can confirm the signing of the arrangement to enable uranimum exports to India for peaceful purposes under 2015 Australia- India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.”… pic.twitter.com/07U2dgd6Js
— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2026
In this deal, all uranium supplied by Australia will be monitored under international safety rules set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This ensures the fuel will only be used to produce electricity and not for military purposes.
Why Does India Need Australian Uranium?
Many might ask why India needs Uranium, hence one must know that India is planning to increase its nuclear power generation over the next two decades. The GOI is aiming to produce 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047 as part of its clean energy goals.
Although India has large reserves of thorium, it does not have enough uranium to meet its growing energy needs. Importing uranium from countries like Australia will help keep nuclear power plants running efficiently.
Nuclear energy also provides electricity throughout the day, unlike solar and wind power, which depend on weather conditions.
This makes nuclear energy an important part of India’s plan to reduce pollution and achieve its net-zero emissions target by 2070.
India’s Nuclear Energy Plans
Currently, there are 24 nuclear reactors in the country that can generate a combined capacity of 8.78 GW spread over seven sites. However, the contribution of nuclear energy to the country’s electricity generation is currently estimated at about 3 per cent.
The Indian Government has plans for constructing more reactors and increasing the capacity of nuclear energy production to 22 GW in 2031-32.
To help achieve this target, the Indian Government has also planned to invest in SMR technology and promote the participation of both private and public sectors.
Why Australia Is an Important Partner
This is one of the key deals as Australia has the world’s largest uranium reserves, making it one of the biggest suppliers. For Australia, India is an important new market as it looks to expand its exports and reduce dependence on a limited number of trading partners.
