Australia-India Uranium Export Agreement

The Australia-India Uranium Export Agreement is an administrative arrangement signed on 9 July 2026 in the city of Melbourne between Australia and India to regulate the export of Australian-origin uranium to India for peaceful purposes. The agreement was signed following talks between the Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese and the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in Melbourne.^【1】 The arrangement entered into force under the framework of the Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement of 2015 and has concluded the nuclear cooperation process between the two countries, which had been signed in 2014 but remained unimplemented for years due to security concerns.^【2】 Both parties have specified that uranium exports will be conducted only for peaceful purposes under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).^【3】

The nuclear cooperation process between Australia and India began when then-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott visited India in September 2014 and signed an agreement with Narendra Modi approving the sale of uranium from Australia to India. However, this agreement remained unimplemented for years due to security concerns that India might use the uranium for non-peaceful purposes, such as nuclear weapons production.^【4】 India is one of the nine countries in the world possessing nuclear weapons and has not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT); this treaty recognizes only the United States, China, the United Kingdom, France and Russia as nuclear-weapon states. India has stated that it considers the treaty discriminatory because it only recognizes as legitimate nuclear-weapon states those that conducted nuclear tests before January 1967, thereby permanently excluding India.^【5】 Following its nuclear tests in 1998, India faced international technological sanctions and a ban on uranium trade.^【6】 Australia, as a party to the NPT, historically refused to sell uranium to non-signatory countries. However, Australia's position evolved over time, and in 2014 it agreed to permit uranium exports to India under the condition that IAEA safeguards would ensure the separation of India’s civilian and military nuclear programs.^【7】

The Nuclear Suppliers Group, comprising countries including the United States, granted India an exemption in 2008 allowing member states to sell uranium to India. Since then, India has pursued bilateral agreements to enable uranium purchases and signed such an agreement with Canada in March 2026.^【8】 The administrative agreement signed on 9 July 2026 is expected to remove the obstacles that had prevented the 2014 agreement from entering into force.

Australia and India completed the uranium export agreement, which had remained unfinalized for approximately 12 years due to security concerns, on 9 July 2026. The agreement was signed following meetings between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Melbourne.^【9】 Modi's visit to Australia formed the second leg of a three-country tour encompassing Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. After his visit to Indonesia, Modi traveled to Australia and then departed for New Zealand on 10 July, Friday. This visit marked Modi's third trip to Australia as Prime Minister, having previously visited in 2014 and 2023.

Modi's first visit in 2014 was the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 28 years. Before Modi's 2014 visit, the last Indian Prime Minister to visit Australia was Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.^【10】

The administrative arrangement under the Australia-India Civil Nuclear Agreement facilitates the commercial supply of Australian-origin uranium to India's civilian nuclear energy program. It is expected that the arrangement will help India diversify its energy sources, strengthen its long-term energy security and support its clean energy goals.^【11】 The Ministry of External Affairs of India has stated that Australia and India have finalized administrative arrangements, as envisaged under the 2015 Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, to enable the export of Australian uranium to India exclusively for peaceful purposes and under IAEA safeguards.^【12】 The joint statement issued upon publication specified that the arrangement permits long-term uranium exports only for peaceful purposes. The two country leaders did not disclose details regarding the quantity, value or timing of the uranium exports at the time of the agreement's announcement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his statement following the signing of the agreement, said, "Today we have signed an important agreement in the field of nuclear energy. This will open the way for uranium supply from Australia to India and provide new momentum to our clean energy goals."^【13】 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating, "This arrangement will facilitate Australian uranium exports to India, contributing to increased non-fossil fuel energy production capacity and creating an additional market for Australia's resources sector." Albanese also described Modi as a "living bridge" between Australia and India and emphasized that Modi's leadership has played a central role in reshaping Australia's economic relations with India.^【14】

India's installed nuclear energy capacity is approximately 8 gigawatts (GW), accounting for about 3 percent of the country's total electricity generation. Over the past decade, India's installed nuclear power capacity has nearly doubled. The Indian government aims to increase nuclear energy capacity to 100 GW by 2047. Government statements indicate that this capacity could meet the annual electricity needs of approximately 60 million households.^【15】

The uranium export agreement was signed following the enactment of the SHANTI Act, which came into force in 2025. The Act is stated to have been enacted to support India's goal of achieving 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047 and is part of the Nuclear Energy Mission.

India is reported to possess one of the world's largest thorium reserves, while its uranium reserves are more limited. It is stated that India's three-stage nuclear energy program is designed to utilize current uranium resources and transition in the long term to thorium-based systems. India's Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, also informed Parliament that the country's uranium reserves are limited.^【16】

According to the World Nuclear Association, Australia possesses the world's largest known uranium reserves, accounting for approximately one-third of global reserves; in 2022, Australia produced 4,820 tons of uranium and was the world's fourth-largest producer, supplying 8 percent of global uranium production; all uranium produced in Australia is exported.^【17】 According to data from the Minerals Council of Australia, Australia earned USD 1.19 billion from uranium exports in the 2023–24 financial year.^【18】 Despite this extensive resource base, Australia does not operate any nuclear power plants and does not possess nuclear weapons.^【19】 The Australian federal government exports uranium under non-proliferation frameworks to ensure it is used exclusively for peaceful purposes.

According to information shared by India's Ministry of External Affairs, a total of 18 agreements were signed during Modi's visit to Australia. These include the Australia-India Joint Declaration on Defence and Security to deepen cooperation in defense and security, the India-Australia Maritime Security Cooperation Roadmap, the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains to promote cooperation in cyber domains, critical technologies and supply chains, and an agreement to establish a critical minerals corridor. In the field of energy security, the Energy Security Joint Statement was signed, outlining commitments to ensure stable, secure and reliable supplies of coal, diesel, other liquid fuels and natural gas. It was also decided to establish the India-Australia Defence Innovation Corridor to connect defense industries and companies. An agreement was signed between India's Coast Guard (ICG) and Australia's Maritime Border Command (MBC) to promote cooperation in maritime law enforcement, domain awareness and protection of maritime boundaries. Additionally, plans are underway to build a "temporary space tracking terminal" on Australia's Cocos (Keeling) Islands to support India's space missions. It was also announced that an Indian military instructor will be assigned to the Australian Defence College for the 2028–29 period.^【20】