Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at the Australia-India Economic Roadmap Business Reception in Melbourne on Jul 9, 2026. (Photo: AFP/William West)
09 Jul 2026 12:12PM
(Updated: 09 Jul 2026 12:17PM)
MELBOURNE: Australia has a "historic" chance to supply the uranium that could power India's nuclear energy transformation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday (Jul 9) ahead of high-level talks.Faced with an almost-insatiable appetite for electricity in the world's most populous nation, Modi has outlined plans to substantially scale up nuclear power generation in the coming years.Australia lays claim to around 28 per cent of the world's uranium resource, but legal hurdles and political sensitivities have hindered exports to India."Australia's huge uranium reserves are directly connected to India's nuclear journey," Modi told a business forum in Melbourne ahead of a summit with his counterpart, Anthony Albanese.
"This is a historic opportunity for us to increase our cooperation in this area."Albanese sported a wide grin as the two leaders briefly paused at the event to take a selfie photo.The Australian prime minister has previously referred to Modi as "The Boss", joking that he could pull bigger crowds than US rock icon Bruce Springsteen.
