News

May 21, 2008

India Steps Up Uranium Exploration As The Country Looks To A Nuclear Future

By TC Malhotra in New Delhi

To reduce India’s dependence on the potential implementation of the Indian-US civilian nuclear deal, the Indian federal government is making large-scale investments in uranium exploration, according to Anil Kakodkar, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India.

Mr Kakodkar, an eminent Indian nuclear scientist, was talking to media persons on the on the sidelines of a function at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai. He was there to mark the 10th anniversary of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests.

According to Mr Kakodkar, the government has plans to invest around Rs 7 billion (US$175 million) in exploring for uranium in several Indian states. He indicated that Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya are among the most prospective for...