India edgy about US atomic deal after N Korean N-test

India, keen to show itself as a responsible nuclear power, plans to counter those fears by turning the spotlight on rival Pakistan's alleged role in aiding North Korea's nuclear programme.

"I wish to state the ... erosion of the non-proliferation regime is not in our interests, we do not support the emergence of another nuclear weapons state," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in London after talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"The DPRK (North Korea) test highlights the danger of clandestine proliferation. In fact India's own security has suffered due to clandestine proliferation linkages."

New Delhi is nervous about being clubbed with countries such as Pakistan, North Korea or Iran by a vocal non-proliferation lobby in Washington opposed to a landmark India-US civilian nuclear cooperation pact, officials and analysts said.

"We have to stress this distinction," said an Indian foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It is a distinction the world has been aware of but the North Korean test could breathe life into those old ghosts and this is not a good time for that to happen," he told Reuters.

The anxiety in New Delhi came a day after North Korea said it had successfully conducted an underground nuclear test in defiance of global warnings, triggering a fresh debate over the effectiveness of non-proliferation agreements.

The timing was particularly bad for India, with its nuclear cooperation deal stymied in the US Congress and now looking less likely to be passed this year. But the government tried to put on a brave face.