India-France to construct six nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur by 2016 end

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande on Monday encouraged their respective industrial companies to conclude techno-commercial negotiations by the end of 2016 for the construction of six nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra in pursuance of the 2008 Agreement on the Development of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

It was also emphasized that both sides need to look at factors like cost viability of the projects, economical financing from the French side, collaboration on transfer of technology and cost-effective localisation of manufacturing in India for large and critical components in accord with Government of India's 'Make in India' initiative.

The two leaders also welcomed the conclusion of the Inter-governmental Agreement (IGA) on the acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter aircrafts in flyaway condition, except for some financial issues relating to the IGA which they agreed must be resolved as soon as possible.

Recalling the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Indo-French space cooperation in 2015, the leaders welcomed the signing of two Implementing Arrangements between their Space Agencies for cooperation in definition studies on a future joint Thermal Infrared Earth Observation mission and hosting of the French instrument for data collection on India's Oceasnsat-3 satellite.

The leaders expressed confidence that these missions would contribute significantly to the monitoring of the environment, weather, water resources and coastal zones and further strengthen the partnership between the two countries. They also welcomed the announcement of collaboration through the participation if Centre National d'etufes spatiales (CNES) in future space and planetary exploration missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).