India on Wednesday said that its inclusion as a full partner in the ambitious multi-country International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor energy project was an acknowledgement of it being a responsible nuclear state with advanced nuclear technology.
The decision also recognises that India can significantly contribute to such endeavours, an external affairs ministry spokesman said in New Delhi on the decision taken by the six partner countries - US, European Union, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea - in Jeju, South Korea on Tuesday.
"India's acceptance as a full partner is an acknowledgement of India as a responsible nuclear state with advanced nuclear technology, including in the field of fusion research," he said, adding, "As a full partner, Indian contribution to the ITER project shall be on the same basis as that of other partners."
ITER is the experimental step between the latest studies of plasma physics and future electricity-producing fusion power plants.
The ambitious project, estimated to cost about 4.6 billion euro ($5.4 billion or Rs 25,000 crore), aims at producing nuclear energy equivalent to that of Sun.
The main ITER facility will be built in Cadarache in France and all partners will participate in its construction, development and research.
After the International Space Station, the ITER would be the largest international research and development collaboration. The reactor, which works on controlled fusion reactions technology, will produce unlimited amount of energy in an environment-friendly manner.
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