FM Sitharaman visits ITER facility in France, praises Indian scientists and companies contribution to global nuclear fusion project
Alpes-Cote d'Azur, July 4
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor facility in Cadarache, France, where she lauded the contribution of Indian scientists, engineers and companies to one of the world's most ambitious nuclear fusion energy projects.
According to a series of posts by the Ministry of Finance on X, Sitharaman toured the ITER facility and was briefed on India's contribution to the project. The ministry said the Finance Minister appreciated the work being carried out by the international team working on the experimental nuclear fusion reactor.
"The Union Finance Minister appreciated the dedication of the ITER engineers and scientists engaged in ITER experiment, which is one of the most ambitious nuclear fusion energy projects in the world, and a significant step toward sustainable and limitless clean energy for the future," the ministry said.
ITER is a large-scale international collaboration aimed at building the world's largest experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor. The project involves seven member countries, including India, along with additional cooperation agreements with several other nations.
During her visit, Sitharaman received a presentation on India's contribution to the project from ITER officials and was taken on a guided tour of the facility, including the Cleaning Hall, Assembly Hall and the Tokamak Pit.
The Finance Ministry said Sitharaman also "commended the work of Indian scientists, engineers and associates, as well as notable industry players such as L&T, Inox India, TCS, TCE, HCL Technologies, among others, who are contributing to the project over the last two decades."
Separately, the Finance Minister interacted with Indian professionals from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) working on the ITER project in Cadarache.
She also met an Indian engineer from Tamil Nadu contributing to the ITER project, the ministry said, highlighting the role of Indian talent in the global nuclear fusion programme.
ITER is widely regarded as one of the world's largest scientific collaborations, with the goal of demonstrating the feasibility of nuclear fusion as a safe, sustainable and virtually limitless source of clean energy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see FM Sitharaman taking time to visit such a high-tech facility. Nuclear fusion is the future and India being a key partner is brilliant. Hope this translates into more investment in our own research too.
Impressive collaboration. ITER is a massive undertaking and Indian engineers have always been strong in complex projects. Good to see the government recognizing their contributions at the highest level.
But why does our Finance Minister need to go all the way to France to appreciate Indian talent? She could do the same at BARC in Mumbai. 🤔 Hope we are also funding our domestic fusion research properly.
Brilliant initiative by India. Being part of ITER shows our commitment to clean energy and scientific excellence. That engineer from Tamil Nadu must feel so proud! 😊
India's contribution to ITER is indeed significant. But the real test will be when fusion becomes commercially viable - will Indian companies get fair IP shares? We must ensure our taxpayers' investment yields returns, not just goodwill.
This is the kind of news that makes you feel proud to be Indian! From Chandrayaan to ITER, our scientists and engineers are truly global. Kudos to FM for highlighting their efforts. 🌟