Atomstroyexport, Russia's nuclear power equipment and services export monopoly, has been building the Kudankulam plant in the southern province of Tamil Nadu since 2002, in line with a 1988 agreement between India and the Soviet Union and an addendum signed in 1998. The plant, expected to be launched later this year, is designed to have capacity of 2,000 MW.
"Russia is ready to build four new power units and for an even larger volume of work in this sector in India," Sergei Ivanov, who is also a deputy prime minister, told journalists in the southern Indian city.
The minister added: "Relevant documents will be signed during the Russian president's visit to India. Let's wait, since there are only two days left."
President Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to India January 25-26.
Ivanov, who is currently on a four-day official visit to India, also said he regards each visit to the south Asian country as another step toward strengthening cooperation between Russia and India.
India, a confirmed nuclear power, has never been party to the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and was under U.S., Japanese and European sanctions since 1998, when it first tested nuclear weapons.
However, President George Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached an agreement in March 2006 to allow the sale of U.S. nuclear power technology to India, a deal that was approved by Congress in December of the same year.
