India ? India’s prime minister said the country should not lag behind in the nuclear power sector, and should become a full-fledged participant of international trade in reactors and uranium.

“There is currently talk of a nuclear power renaissance, and we can’t afford to miss the train, or lag behind these global processes,” Manmohan Singh said in a speech marking the launch of two new reactors at a power plant in the country’s west.

The premier’s comments come amid a dispute among the country’s leadership over a mooted nuclear deal with Washington. The premier has come under pressure from communist allies in parliament over the deal, which is set to give India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and equipment for the first time since the 1970s. The communists, who believe the deal would subject the country to U.S. hegemony, have threatened to withdraw their support for the government if the deal is pursued.