Mumbai: The government is expected to kick start talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) next week on a broader nuclear inspection regime as it bids to garner support from IAEA governors and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for the US-India nuclear deal.

India has already briefed IAEA experts about a nuclear safeguards scheme, which the 35-member governing board of the UN watchdog will consider next week. The IAEA approval is mandatory for operationalising the US-India nuclear pact and start nuclear trade.

The IAEA board will discuss the safeguards draft on 1 August.

The agreement, entered into between India and the United States in 2005, also needs clearance from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that regulates sensitive nuclear trade.

The agreement will then have to be ratified by the US Congress to come into force.

The process, however, is unlikely to be a smooth one as there are sceptics in the NSG who refuses to be satisfied by India's offer to accept an Additional Protocol regime, which would extend the IAEA's inspection rights beyond those of the standard safeguards deal.

India, which has agreed to subject 14 civilian atomic reactors to inspections, will finalise the Additional Protocol soon  to help enable it import the ''trigger list" nuclear items for peaceful use.

The IAEA, however, views the US-Indian deal as a boost for non-proliferation and peaceful use of relatively clean nuclear energy and has endorsed the Indian inspections draft as consistent with safeguards standards.

Despite tough posturing by some NSG members, the IAEA is expected to give its nod to the deal as it expands the IAEA's inspection rights.

The NSG's objection centres on setting a precedent by awarding an unconditional waiver for trade with a country which has tested nuclear bombs but shunned the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

There are two other countries which have tested nuclear weapons like India and have refused to sign the NPT – Pakistan and Israel.