IAEA director general calls on PM Modi, praises India's record as responsible nuclear power

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday underscored India's enduring commitment to safe and secure use of atomic energy for peace and development in a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

Grossi, who called on Modi, commended the country's impeccable record as a responsible nuclear power and praised its progress in nuclear science and technology, particularly highlighting the development and deployment of indigenous nuclear power plants, the PMO said.

In the meeting, Modi shared India's ambitious goals to enhance the share of environmentally friendly nuclear power generation capacity as part of its energy mix.

Grossi, the statement said, acknowledged India's global leadership role in civil nuclear applications for societal benefits. This includes the remarkable progress that India has made in utilising nuclear technology to address the challenges faced by humankind including those related to health, food, water treatment, plastic pollution and climate change, it added.

Views were exchanged between them on expanding the role of nuclear energy in meeting net zero commitments, including through small modular reactors and micro-reactors, it said.

Grossi conveyed his admiration for the outstanding partnership between the IAEA and India, praising India for its training and capacity-building programmes that have helped many countries, it said.

Both sides agreed to explore avenues of cooperation between India and the IAEA for extending civil nuclear technology applications in the Global South, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the IAEA director general also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

"Good to see my friend DG IAEA Rafael M Grossi today. Congratulated him on his reappointment. Discussed the developmental significance of nuclear energy. Also exchanged views on non-proliferation and international cooperation. India will always be a strong and reliable partner of IAEA," Jaishankar posted on X.