“Instead of jumping first for utilities (power plants), the new private entrants to the nuclear industry should grab the opportunity and maximise India’s advantage in manufacturing of nuclear equipments and components,” Kakodkar said.
Kakodkar said, “In fact, I told FICCI when they had come to my office to show the document Part I which emphasised on utilities that they have to correct their priorities and take up manufacturing of parts first and then export markets and later then after few years the utilities.”
“This is not the time to look at the Atomic Energy Act (which is required mainly for Indian industries to take up utilities) but instead try and build up the supply chain and prepare for export to the neighbouring countries making India a nuclear hub of manufacturing and a supply chain king,” Kakodkar said.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has constituted a working group on civil nuclear energy under the chairman ship of S K Jain, chairman managing director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) with members representing companies who are looking to engage in doing business in the Indian Nuclear sector.
Amit Mitra, secretary, FICCI said, “To bring in more focus into the deliberations of this group, smaller sub-groups were constituted to individually to look into issues concerning utilities, manufacturing and export markets.”
“The utilities are simple power plants but there is a security, fuel cycle and safety culture issues and can not be done overnight. It takes time and very highly dedicated people are required for handling such hi-tech industry,” Kakodkar said.
Kakodkar has asked how much experience these industries who wanted to take up nuclear power have experience in running thermal power plants.
Jain said that Department of Atomic energy has informed to the industry that manufacturing should be first priority for Indian industries to take benefits of this global civil nuclear cooperation.
Foreign direct investments are important for this but at the same time the priority on utilities should be the third in number.
Jain said “All these things are strictly not available in the nuclear industry unlike the conventional ones.”
So, those industries which could go forward with India’s civil nuclear expansion should come together to develop a mechanism for regulation.
According to Mitra, the purpose of this report they had prepared was to advise the required legislative and policy interventions for an accelerated participation of the private sector, with a well defined qualification criterion so that only serious players participate in this strategic sector.
Mitra said, “We hope that the report, first of the series, will be useful to policy makers, thinkers and Indian industry, as a suggested approach to the opening of the civil nuclear sector in India, particularly as they deal with issues of security and employment potential.”
“The second report on Issues in manufacturing will be submitted to the government soon,” Mitra said.
