Mumbai: India expects the IAEA board of governors to approve the India-specific nuclear safeguards when its 35-member board meets in Vienna tomorrow.

An approval by the IAEA board is necessary for its approval be the larger 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, which will in turn will lead to the operationalisation of the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement.

The operationalosation of the Indo-US deal will help India resume nuclear trade with the global community after a gap of 34 years.

The IAEA process will also give India an opportunity to gauge the mood of the Nuclear Suppliers Group countries, as 19 of the 45 countries are both IAEA governors and NSG members.

The specific queries raised by the NSG in IAEA will also act as a pointer to the draft of the NSG exemption that is being prepared by the US.

The US has issued a preliminary draft to India, but it will be finalised only after the 1 August meeting.

Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar is currently in Vienna to ensure a smooth sailing at the IAEA board and the NSG.

Both India and the US are coordinating efforts to get all NSG members on board as a number of countries still have reservations about the nuclear deal. Countries like Austria, Ireland, Switzerland and New Zealand,  with their strong beliefs in non-proliferation, are proving difficult to convince.

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has also been meeting IAEA and NSG members on the sidelines of the NAM ministerial summit in Iran. Mukherjee, who met foreign ministers of Algeria, Egypt and Ghana to seek their support, also held discussions with NSG members Cyprus and Belarus.

China, a key member of the IAEA and the NSG, continues to be non-committal on its position.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has has demanded similar status for Pakistan and may even push for a vote at the IAEA meeting.