India opens nuclear sector to proven foreign technology under strict regulatory oversight

By NEW DELHI: India has proposed a tightly supervised approval regime for private nuclear projects, opening the door to foreign reactor technologies with proven overseas track records while allowing regulators to stop projects at critical stages of development. The draft rules and regulations released late on Friday offer the clearest indication yet since India announced an amended law to open its nuclear sector to private and foreign investors, while not ceding regulatory control. According to the rules, foreign reactor designs with proven overseas operating records would be eligible and developers would face extensive safety reviews throughout a project's lifetime, with regulators empowered to halt progress at key milestones ranging from construction to fuel loading.