Work is in progress on India's nuclear steam reactors for its first nuclear powered submarine, Srikumar Banerjee, head of the country's Atomic Energy Commission, said.

Last year, India floated out its nuclear-powered submarine, the Arihant, to be powered by a light water reactor (LWR) using enriched uranium as fuel.

In an interview with The Hindu published on Monday, Banerjee said the "nuclear steam supply system" was 100% ready.

"We are only waiting for other systems to become operational so that we can start the commissioning activity of the reactor. I really do not know when the harbor trials will be done."

The Indian Navy needs three or four nuclear-powered submarines to be a viable force.

Enriched uranium for these submarines will come from the Rare Materials Plant at Ratnahalli, near Mysore, Banerjee said.

NEW DELHI, September 6 (RIA Novosti)