For taking forward India’s Digital initiatives, India and France inked a deal for getting India's supercomputers

For taking forward India’s Digital initiatives, India and France on Saturday inked a Rs 4,500 crore three year contract for getting supercomputers to be used for academic and research institutions across the country. The two countries also decided to launch projects together in Africa, particularly in the area of sustainable development in connection with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and adopted Status of Progress for Implementation of Industrial Way Forward Agreement related to the Jaitapur Power Plant.

Announcing this at the joint press meet at the end of talks with her French Counterpart French minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Yves Le Drian, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said that, “The work on the Jaitapur Power Plant will start as soon as possible. Both sides have made considerable progress in pursuance of the Industrial Way Forward Agreement in 2018 between NPCIL and EDF (Électricité de France, Nuclear electric power generation company).”

Earlier in the day, an agreement with France-based European Information Technology Corporation Atos by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing was inked for designing, building and installing the BullSequana – the supercomputer.

The delivery of BullSequana supercomputers which is expected to start next year is expected to create a network of over 70 high-performance supercomputing facilities for various academic and research institutions across India.

As India gears up to become a leader in high-performance supercomputers through its National Supercomputing Mission, a programme launched by the government in 2015 will enable France to contribute to the success of this project.

According to a statement issued by the Embassy of France, New Delhi, “It has been awarded to Atos under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), a scheme of Rs 4500 crores (€550 M / $650 M) spread over seven years. This agreement is of special importance as Atos has thus become India’s preferred industrial partner in a highly strategic field.”

It was inked in the presence of the visiting French minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Yves Le Drian and Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

“India and France have a strategic partnership and we are two nations that innovate a lot. It is true that supercomputers are a necessity and not a luxury. We often say that data for the 21st century is what oil was to the 20th century, we are using data in a massive way and that raises questions of ethics. India and France share not only interests but also values that require us to use technology for good for humanity,” the visiting minister said.

According to him, “India and France have the same vision of what cyberspace should and we would like to deepen our cooperation in areas of cyberspace in R&D or regulation for digital technology.”

The contract would clear the way for the Atos to deploy its Bull Sequana supercomputers in India to build a network with a cumulative computing power of more than 10 petaflops.

The high-performance computing facilities, which the Atos will deploy in India, will include the corporation’s advanced BullSequana XH2000.

The visiting minister who is on his 16th visit to India met with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and reviewed the entire gamut of issues of both regional and global of mutual interest as well as status of the projects initiated when the French President had visited India earlier this year.

Addressing a joint media meet, Jean said that, “Six EPRs account for a total capacity of almost 10 GW, which is a significant contribution to India’s aim of producing 40% of its electricity from non-fossil fuels by 2030, in keeping with its commitments made ahead of the Paris Climate Conference.”

Adding, “The Jaitapur project will also contribute to make in India as it involves transfers of production, technology, joint research and training.”

The EPR is a third generation pressurised water reactor (PWR) design, and six EPRs are expected to be constructed in Jaitpur which is among the projects India plans to build to raise its nuclear power generation capacity to 22,480 MW by 2031.