VIENNA: Nuclear supplier nations adopted by consensus here Saturday a US initiative to lift a 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade with India, the Austrian delegation said.

"After protracted negotiations, the Nuclear Suppliers Group today adopted an exemption for nuclear exports to India," the Austrian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The breakthrough came after around 90 minutes of additional talks on Saturday and was reached when Austria, which said it was one of the last of the 45 NSG member countries to hold out against the deal, secured a formal pledge by India to keep to its non-proliferation commitments and uphold a moratorium on nuclear bomb testing.

Discussions had been going on since Thursday and had broken up shortly before 2:00 am (0000 GMT) on Saturday after the Chinese delegation walked out in support of three countries -- Austria, Ireland and New Zealand -- holding out for a clear-cut commitment on India''s part to refrain from nuclear bomb testing.

Washington was keen to get a deal through so that the US Congress could ratify it before it adjourned at the end of September for November elections.

The 2005 US-India deal is one of Bush''s key foreign policy initiatives.

NSG rules ban nuclear trading with India because it refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, developed atomic bombs in secret and conducted its first nuclear test in 1974.

The United States wants a special waiver from NSG rules for India, so it can share civilian nuclear technology with New Delhi.

The United States argues the deal would bring India into the NPT fold and help combat global warming by allowing it to develop low-polluting nuclear energy.

Critics say the deal undermines international non-proliferation efforts and accuse the nuclear powers of pursuing commercial and political gains.

There had been three main sticking points: termination of trade if India tests, no transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology and an annual review of the agreement.

But the crunch issue appeared to be nuclear testing, since New Delhi has not signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

India has said it "remains committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing."

But New Zealand, Ireland and Austria had been holding out for a stronger commitment.