Nuclear diplomacy is emerging as an instrument of great-power competition in South Asia. Examine with reference to recent civil nuclear agreements in India's neighbourhood.

Nuclear diplomacy means using civil nuclear cooperation (reactors, fuel, training) to build long-term strategic ties. In South Asia it has become a lever of rivalry among the U.S., Russia and China. The Bangladesh–U.S. MoU on strategic civil nuclear cooperation (September 2026) is the latest example [1].

Nuclear deals as tools of competition

• Russia: Rosatom anchors Bangladesh's first plant at Rooppur [2]. A reactor ties the buyer to its supplier for decades through fuel, spares and servicing.
• United States: The MoU was signed by a senior State Department official, Jacob Helberg. The word "strategic" and its reference to regional security go beyond commerce [1].
• China: China-designed Hualong One units at Karachi deepen China–Pakistan strategic alignment [4].
• Hedging by smaller states: Dhaka wants to "expand and diversify" its energy sources [1]. It gains leverage by keeping more than one great power engaged.

Limits of the thesis

• Intent, not delivery: The MoU is non-binding and names no reactor, financing or timeline [1]. Actual U.S. technology transfer usually needs a binding "123" agreement, as India's 2008 deal showed [5].
• Rules still apply: Both sides committed to safety, security, safeguards and non-proliferation [1]. Real energy demand, not geopolitics alone, drives these programmes.

Implications for India

• Existing stake: A 2018 tripartite MoU between India's DAE, Rosatom and Bangladesh makes India a partner at Rooppur [2]. India also funds Rooppur's power evacuation (grid transmission) lines through a Line of Credit [3].
• Risk: Competing suppliers could shrink India's role in its neighbours' energy choices.
• Opportunity: India has civil nuclear ties with both the U.S. [5] and Russia [2]. It can act as a bridge, offering training and regulatory support whoever supplies the reactor.
• Way forward: Extend the DAE tripartite model to all suppliers. Keep grid-linked Lines of Credit going. Promote regional cooperation on nuclear safety and disaster response.

Civil nuclear agreements in India's neighbourhood now carry strategic signals as much as energy value, though many remain statements of intent. India should act as a trusted technical partner, not a rival supplier. That would advance its Neighbourhood First policy and SDG 7 (clean, affordable energy), and keep the region's nuclear expansion safe and cooperative.