MUMBAI, DEC 1: Impressed with the high quality of state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd's (NPCIL) existing plants and the credibility of its expansion programme, the US government and the visiting American nuclear companies plan to organise one more visit to India to explore business opportunities. This was what representatives of US nuclear companies GE, Westinghouse, Thorium Power and Transco Products had to say during a presentation by NPCIL here on Friday.The presentation came in the wake of the Senate passing the Indo-US civilian nuclear Bill last month. Sources involved with Friday’s presentation told FE, “NPCIL briefed US companies about the prevailing regulatory and security norms besides investments lined up for capacity addition. They were also told that private sector participation in nuclear energy capacity addition will be possible only after India's Atomic Energy Act is amended.”
NPCIL chairman and managing director SK Jain explained the nuclear power scenario in India. Sources said US companies were specifically told that they would have to strictly follow regulatory norms as an independent regulator was in place. They were also informed that just a license from the US would not fulfill the requirement to do business in India. “US companies said they had no problem in adhering to regulatory norms,” the sources added. US undersecretary of commerce and international trade Franklin Lavin praised the high quality of plants and the qualified manpower employed in the Indian nuclear power sector.