India and Russia are preparing for a significant round of talks on nuclear energy cooperation as Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on September 11, ahead of the BRICS Summit. The meeting is expected to focus on expanding the long-standing strategic partnership between the two countries, with civil nuclear cooperation emerging as one of the key areas on the agenda.
According to the Kremlin, discussions on establishing additional nuclear power plants in India are expected during Putin’s visit. The talks come at a time when cooperation at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu is progressing, providing a strong foundation for further collaboration between the two countries in the civilian nuclear sector.
Kudankulam has become one of the most important examples of India-Russia nuclear cooperation. Units 1 and 2 are already operational, while Units 3 and 4 are progressing towards completion and Units 5 and 6 are under construction. In June 2026, the project achieved another major milestone with the installation of a 320-tonne reactor pressure vessel at Unit 5. Once all six units are operational, the site is expected to have a combined capacity of around 6,000 MWe.
The broader nuclear partnership is particularly significant for India as New Delhi seeks a major expansion of nuclear-generated electricity over the coming decades. India has set an ambitious target of reaching 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, making international partnerships and the expansion of existing nuclear projects increasingly important to its long-term energy strategy.
The Modi-Putin meeting is not expected to be limited to nuclear energy. Defence cooperation, trade and financial mechanisms are also likely to feature prominently in the discussions. Russia has separately confirmed that the possible sale of its Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft to India is on the agenda, while the two countries are also examining ways to enhance cooperation around the BrahMos missile programme and S-400 air-defence systems.
Economic cooperation has also gained importance in the India-Russia relationship. Russia recently said that payment mechanisms using the Indian rupee and Russian rouble have become substantially more effective, with national currencies accounting for the overwhelming majority of bilateral trade settlements. The development could provide additional momentum to trade between the two countries amid continuing changes in the global financial and geopolitical environment.
The timing of Putin’s visit is also significant because it comes immediately before the 18th BRICS Summit, which India will host in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The summit is expected to focus on economic resilience, technological cooperation, energy transition and greater coordination among member countries.
For India and Russia, the upcoming bilateral meeting could therefore become an important opportunity to translate their traditional strategic partnership into new projects in nuclear energy, defence, trade and technology. While the exact agreements to emerge from the talks remain to be seen, the expected discussions indicate that civil nuclear cooperation will remain a major pillar of the relationship as India works toward strengthening its long-term energy security.