N-deal breakthrough in Obama-Modi talks?

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama ended their talks at Hyderabad House here Sunday, indications were that the two sides may have clinched a breakthrough over issues hampering implementation of the landmark Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

Modi and Obama were closeted for over three hours at Hyderabad House, holding restricted and later delegation level talks.

While no confirmation was available, the news running rife in Hyderabad House was that all contentious issues has been ironed out, clearing the way for implementation of the deal hanging fire since 2008.

A contact group, comprising nuclear officials from both sides, has held three rounds of talks in the past 45 days pointing to the urgency the both sides hold to resolve niggling issues.

Besides US misgivings over India's stringent civil nuclear liability law that puts the onus for any accident on suppliers, the other issue that India has objection to is the US insistence on control in perpetuity over the nuclear fuel and equipment.

While an insurance pool is reported to have been mooted to overcome the liability issue, the US side is believed to have softened its stance on the control over equipment.