Russia will build at least 12 nuclear reactors in India, six of which will be constructed between 2012 and 2017, said the president of Rosatom Energy, Sergey Kiriyenko.

"So far it is known that there will be 12 reactors. And it is not their final number," Kiriyenko said. He added that six reactors will be built between 2012 and 2017, but construction of the Haripur power plant in western Bangal will likely begin in 2017.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is on an official two-day visit to India, holding top-level talks focusing on nuclear and military cooperation between the two nations.

He has been accompanied on the visit by the president of Rosatom Energy, Sergey Kiriyenk, with the express intention of signing contracts for the construction of four units at the Indian nuclear plant NPP Kudankulam.

Two blocks, with a production capacity of2 Gigawatts (GWt), are already being built with Russian technology, and should go into operation later in 2010.

"Under the new contract construction, the activity will be carried out by Indian contractees. Russia will provide the nuclear power plant project, the supply of equipment, and will supervise the construction. It is also possible a Memorandum for a new plant in West Bengal may be signed, where Russia also plans to build a nuclear station, starting in 2017," Commersant daily reported on Friday.

The two countries have also signed agreements for the delivery of 29 MiG-29K fighter jets, beginning in 2012. This follows an earlier contract to supply India with 16 MiG jets, six of which have been delivered with four of them already operational.

"We are expecting to begin deliveries under the contract from 2012," announced Mikhail Pogosyan, director of the Suhoi Corporation. The aircraft deal is worth an estimated USD 1,5 B.

"The MiG-29K is a multipurpose aircraft designed to take on combat missions at any time of day or night and under all climatic conditions. We envisage that the MiG-s will be based on the aircraft carrier "Admiral Gorshkov", which we shall deliver to India in 2013," Pogosyan added.

A further naval contract has also been signed on the short visit, to complete the modernization of the Indian aircraft carrier "Admiral Gorshkov". The price of the contract has not been revealed, but an older, 2004 agreement for USD 970 M was canceled by India once it became obvious that more cash would be needed to complete the renovation.

"The new contract is signed, the price is agreed, the deadline for submission of the "Gorshkov" will be the end of 2012. By mutual decision I cannot reveal the price," said Russia's Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Ivanov.

Meantime, Prime Minister Putin issued a reassurance that the country had no intention of seeking similar contracts in neighboring Pakistan.

"I would like to stress that Russia is not maintaining military cooperation with Pakistan as it takes into account the concerns of our Indian partners," he pledged, after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.