Australia to sell uranium to India: What the landmark deal means

India and Australia on Thursday signed a landmark civil nuclear agreement that will pave the way for commercial uranium supplies from Australia to India, alongside a series of agreements covering defence, maritime security, critical minerals and emerging technologies.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese held wide-ranging talks in Australia, following which the two sides unveiled a joint declaration on defence and security, a roadmap for maritime collaboration, and partnerships in cyber, critical technologies and supply chains.

The significance of the deal

Calling the nuclear agreement a key outcome of the visit, PM Modi said, "Today, we have signed an important agreement in the field of nuclear energy.

This will open the way for uranium supplies from Australia to India and give new impetus to our clean energy objectives."The administrative arrangement under the India-Australia Civil Nuclear Agreement will facilitate the commercial supply of Australian uranium for India's civilian nuclear power programme. The agreement is expected to diversify India's energy sources, strengthen long-term energy security and support the country's clean energy goals in line with the SHANTI (Safe and Holistic Advancement of Nuclear Technology for India) Act, which aims to expand nuclear power capacity while ensuring safe and responsible use of atomic energy, according to outcome details shared by MEA.

Echoing the significance of the pact, Albanese said, "The arrangement facilitates Australian uranium exports to India to help increase the share of non-fossil fuel power capacity, providing an additional market for the Australian resources sector."Beyond nuclear cooperation, the two countries agreed to strengthen collaboration in critical minerals, with PM Modi announcing the launch of the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains.

He also said both sides would work together on a critical minerals corridor.PM Modi also said that the India-Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap would strengthen efforts towards a free, stable and rules-based Indo-Pacific, while both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to counter-terrorism cooperation and resolving global conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.The leaders also issued a joint declaration to deepen defence and security cooperation, with plans to enhance strategic coordination, connect defence startups through the India-Australia Defence Innovation Corridor, expand maritime cooperation, and increase interoperability between their armed forces.