A point of access to nuclear market, India has planned investments of millions

New Delhi, 21 August 2008. - A point of view open the doors of the international nuclear market, India is planning investments of 300,000 million dollars for a civil nuclear program that seeks to alleviate the energy shortage which hampers their growth.
The country is currently operating 17 reactors with an output of 4,120 megawatts theoretical, 15,180 who will become the new projects it has set the Atomic Commission of India until 2020.
"Nuclear power in the country is 3 percent of total energy production. We hope to reach 10 percent in 2020, "he told Efe Sudhinder Thakur, executive director of nuclear public consortium of India (NPCIL).
Expansion projects and new reactors have a value of 300,000 million dollars and is estimated to create 100,000 jobs, but do not address the main structural deficiency in the nuclear India: lack of uranium.
The capacity of 4,120 megawatts is just a theoretical value, in fact, India produces only 1,790, due to technical problems "temporary", reactor maintenance or lack of political permission to access new uranium mines, according to experts.
This is where staging the "nuclear deal", as known in the country the agreement reached in 2007 with the United States, which will allow India access to international nuclear market in return for separating its military nuclear facilities from civilian ones.
The agreement required the signature of safeguards with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and still requires the approval of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, to which India presents its case today in Vienna.
"What will the nuclear deal will bring extra resources. We have so much uranium in India to cover 100 percent of our needs. So I see this as a trade, "the spokesman told Efe the Indian Atomic Commission, Anil Malhotra.
"The agreement will be important for international nuclear trade. Come foreign reactors. Companies in India will manufacture components. Here the costs are cheaper, so many international companies may be inclined to settle here, as happened to the cars, "he said.
According to Secretary of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Amit Mitra, quoted by IANS, the nuclear deal will bring technological improvements will create opportunities for 400 companies in the country and help alleviate the power shortage.
India is the fifth country in the world with more generation, but the output per capita trivial forcing tens of millions of people to light candles or oil lamps after dark, and frequent power cuts cause losses to the industry.
With an annual production of 653.172 million kilowatt-hours, the country carries an energy deficit of 73,050 million, which the atomic pact will not remove unless carried to India five times its current nuclear capacity (about 17,000 million).
The agreement has not been without controversy: to backup in the West raises the fact that India has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the Indian government had to join a faction inside that put on the ropes.
After months of endless discussion, the Government in July had to overcome a confidence vote had two arguments of the opposition: Communists did not accept the deal with the "American Friend" and the BJP's Hindu radicals accused him of jeopardizing the independence of the strategic military program.
"It was the result of misinformation. Is a trade agreement that we do not tie the hands. Our sovereignty will not be compromised, it will only civilian reactors under control. In the military, we can continue to use the plutonium, "continued Malhotra.
India can only use the uranium abroad in the 14 reactors will be under IAEA monitoring l, but scientists applaud the end of "nuclear apartheid" in effect since the country started the atomic race in 1974.

Sarkozy comes to India with an eye on the nuclear market

New Delhi, 25 Jan 2008. - French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in India with a full schedule of official meetings, which aim to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and to deal on civilian nuclear cooperation.
Leading a delegation of ministers, 50 businessmen and 90 journalists, Sarkozy is the guest of honor at this year's parade on Republic Day of India, which is celebrated every January 26.
"I expressed to President (Pratibha Patil) and Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) my warmest thanks for the wonderful welcome you have given us," said Chirac after being welcomed upon arrival at the presidential palace.
But Carla Bruni, who decided to stay in France, Sarkozy made ​​a wreath at the tomb of Gandhi before meeting with Manmohan Singh, who spoke on terrorism, nuclear cooperation and strengthening ties between both countries.
"The meeting was very productive. We talked about trade, defense, education, research, education, technology, aerospace and civilian nuclear energy, among other things, "said Singh.
Singh and Sarkozy presided over the signing of five agreements relating to defense cooperation, exchange of convicts, development aid, the construction of a science laboratory and Indian participation in the nuclear reactor in Cadarache (France).
The current interest of France in India goes through civil nuclear cooperation since the Asian country these days negotiating a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which could open a new market for France.
The India reached an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation with the United States last year, and although it is subject to ratification, Sarkozy and Singh said they had "finalized negotiations for an agreement" similar.
"India has never contributed to nuclear proliferation-Sarkozy defended today, and has separated the civil power of the defense. Respect a moratorium on nuclear weapons and is willing to meet the conditions set by the IAEA. "
France, the French president said in a joint press conference with the media, is ready to be "the lawyer of India to the international community" to end the restrictions on nuclear suffers the Asian country, a possessor of the weapon not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
"Without nuclear power, India should opt for polluting energy. Do not forget that the French nuclear technology is the safest in the world. France is in a position to help India to sustainable development, "said the French president.
The result of their close traditional relations, India considers France a "strategic ally" and get off for it: Sarkozy, his face tired from the trip, he argued that the Asian country enjoys permanent seat on the Security Council of the UN and the G-8.
"The world needs to introduce an organization that matches this new century, 'said the French president. Unable to accept that India, with its 1,000 million people, is not present at the summits. "
The two leaders mentioned Islamic terrorism as one of the greatest challenges of democracy and said "share enemies", so were willing to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and intelligence services.
For both, the challenge is to extend this line to the framework of trade policy, in order to achieve trade worth 12,000 million euros in 2012, twice as far.
After the press conference, Sarkozy left the room to meet Sonia Gandhi, opposition members, Vice President and President of India, before attending a banquet given by Singh and, tomorrow, the parade's Day Republic.
French President could also spend part of his visit, two days, to see the Taj Mahal in Agra city, but this time his love will walk with his girlfriend, Carla Bruni, who dismissed accompany Sarkozy.
India had discussed these days how to receive the Presidential girlfriend without breaking the protocol, to the extent that an official called the situation "a logistical headache."
Although Bruni's decision served to settle the debate, the Republican interest groups, however, continues.
"They are talking Sarkozy and Singh, yes, but where is Carla Bruni?" He said upon leaving the press conference a photographer clueless.

India needs half a billion dollars to their shattered infrastructure

New Delhi, Jan 8, 2008. - In order to solve their pharaonic infrastructure deficit, India has made ​​a huge investment needed: 100,000 million dollars annually in the next five years, 9 percent of its GDP.
The Government has not only repeatedly recognized the existence of a bottleneck in the sector, which hampers their growth, but recently decided to convene a meeting of the Infrastructure Committee to get fast to those responsible for future projects.
In his will is the idea of achieving that India grows over 10 percent annually at the end of the eleventh Five Year Plan, between 2007 and 2012.
"The Cabinet has recently approved five-year project, which seeks an increase in infrastructure spending from 5 percent now to 9 percent," he said recently vice president of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh.
Singh, one of the voices that most insistently demands greater attention to the sector, estimated at 500,000 million dollars the "massive" Indian investment needs in the next five years.
Until now, limitations in infrastructure have constrained the goals of India: the bad road conditions have, for example, that 70 percent of freight traffic using only 3 percent of the tracks.
That poor road and communication not only an increase in logistics costs (13 percent of total), but leaves no alternative to hundreds of thousands of peasants, who are doomed to subsistence because if they wanted to sell their products agricultural market, these come rotten.
In the city, major airports Indians live in an almost permanent congestion, as traffic increases year after year and there is unanimous agreement on the need to build new and expand existing terminals.
The failure of airports is extended to the river and maritime transport: on average, takes more than 80 hours to load and unload a ship in major Indian ports, ten times more than in Hong Kong.
And on energy, India lives paid to the constant power cuts, which highlight the shortcomings of supply and the need to invest between 120,000 and 150,000 million in the next five years, according to a study by the Confederation of Industry of India (CII).
In a recent survey, 90 percent of employers in northern India told to use their own generators to cope with the cuts, and 75 out of 100 said their "biggest problem" is the poor infrastructure of the sector.
With this background, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has recommended to India increased public investment and efficiency and a reduction in subsidies, with the example of the telecommunications sector, liberalized 1997 with "exemplary results."
This sector, with its clear organization and management by a regulatory body, is also the model cited by the reformist prime minister, Manmohan Singh, a supporter of partnerships between public and private sectors to finance the projects.
With the goal dreamed of growing at the pace of 10 percent, India is looking at the example of China, a country whose economy is moving in two digits, yes, spending seven times more on infrastructure.
But not only China is ahead of India in context, more regional, southern Asia, the Asian elephant concentrated 80 percent of investment requirements, data from a World Bank report shows that other countries have done better homework.
Now, ready to tackle the problem, the Indian government wants to throw even their foreign exchange reserves (about 260,000 million) provided to accelerate growth now supported by the growing potential of your market and reforms of the early 1990.
"It's not for lack of resources," says Montek Singh optimistic planner.