US to lift sanctions on Indian entities for civil nuclear cooperation
Summit and Conference
4 min read
The United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has announced that the United States will lift the sanctions imposed on certain Indian entities to promote close cooperation in civilian nuclear programmes. The sanctions were imposed by the United States after India conducted a series of nuclear test in Pokhran, Rajasthan in 1998.
Jake Sullivan was on a two day visit to India on 5 & 6 January 2025 to attend the 3rd meeting of the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) with the Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The meeting was held in New Delhi on 6 January 2025.
Jake Sullivan is the last official of the Joe Biden administration to visit India as the term of the American President Joe Biden Administration comes to an end on 19 January 2025.
During his visit,Jake Sullivan said that cooperation in the next generation of semiconductor technologies, cutting-edge research and space exploration will be the area of focus of the cooperation between the two countries.”.
India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET)
India and the United States agreed to set up the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in 2022 during Prime Minister Narednra Modi visit to the United States.
The iCET focuses on deepening and expanding strategic cooperation between the two countries in semiconductors,space,artificial intelligence, advanced telecommunications, quantum technology, biotechnology, and clean energy.
The first iCET meeting was held in Washington, USA, in January 2023 and the second was held on 17 June 2024 in New Delhi.
India US Nuclear Ties
The United States imposed sanctions on over 200 Indian entities in response to India’s nuclear test in Pokhran in 1998. Later on sanctions on some entities were removed and at present
some entities of the Department of Atomic Energy — Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Indian Rare Earths Limited, nuclear reactors, nuclear power plants not under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)safeguards, production facilities and their collocated ammonia are still under sanctions.
In 2007 during President George Bush administration an agreement was signed between India and the United States which allowed the United States to sell civilian nuclear technology to India.
In 2019, India and the U.S. agreed to build six U.S. nuclear power plants in India.
Problem in implementation
One main reason no reactor has been built in India is India's liability rules.
Under the Indian liability rules the liability in case of nuclear accident is borne by the maker of the nuclear reactors.
Globally the liability is of the operator of the nuclear reactors.
In India the Nuclear Power plants are operated by the government owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited.
