Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency will wait until India is ready to hold safeguards talks to take forward a civilian nuclear power agreement with the U.S.

There is no deadline for the talks with the regulator, Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the agency, said in New Delhi today. India needs nuclear power to boost electricity output to achieve a 10 percent economic growth target, he said.

ElBaradei began his visit to Asia's fourth-biggest economy yesterday at a time when tension has risen between the government and its communist allies over the nuclear policy.

``I know the domestic political dialogue is going on. As and when India is ready we will be happy to interact with them,'' he said. ``There is no deadline. When India is ready for the safeguards agreement, we'll negotiate.''

India may be forced to call early elections if the communists, whose support provides Singh with a parliamentary majority, don't yield to the government's plan to start negotiations with the IAEA. The leftists oppose the talks because they say the nuclear accord with the U.S. would weaken the nation's ability to follow an independent foreign policy.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh needs the consent of the IAEA to bring into effect the agreement with the U.S. that would allow India to purchase nuclear reactors from suppliers including France's Areva SA and Japan's Hitachi Ltd.

``India, a major player in every aspect of international affairs, cannot continue to be sidelined,'' ElBaradei said. ``I want to see India a full partner, not sidelined.''

Suppliers Group

ElBaradei said he supported India's bid to get the 45- nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to remove restrictions on the delivery of nuclear material.

The removal of nuclear trade restrictions ``would be a major step towards regularizing the relationship between India and the international community in nuclear trade,'' he said.

This won't be the first safeguards agreement with India's government, the agency chief said.

``This is a standard procedure we apply to make sure that facilities in the civilian sectors are used exclusively for peaceful propose.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Bibhudatta Pradhan in New Delhi at bpradhan@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 10, 2007 09:42 EDT