U.S., India to sign civil nuclear deal on Friday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and India plan to sign a potentially lucrative agreement on Friday to open up nuclear trade between the two countries for the first time in three decades, sources familiar with the matter said.

The sources, who asked not to be named, said the agreement was due to be signed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Washington.

The pact will provide India with access to U.S. nuclear fuel, reactors and technology, overturning a ban on such trade instituted in 1974 when India first conducted a nuclear test.

President George W. Bush will sign into law U.S. legislation that underpins the agreement on Wednesday, a week after the bill was ratified by Congress.

The India-U.S. deal could open up around $27 billion in investment in 18 to 20 nuclear plants in India over the next 15 years, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry.