WASHINGTON, Feb 16: Non-proliferation experts have warned that the Indo-US civilian-nuclear deal will lead to New Delhi expanding its weapon production and encourage Pakistan and China to do likewise.

In a letter to Congress, three prominent experts urged the Bush administration to impose strict conditions on India before finalizing the deal signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the White House on July 18.

David Albright, Leonard Weiss and Daryl G. Kimball told a briefing at the Carnegie Endowment on Wednesday that New Delhi should be asked to agree to a “cut-off of Indian fissile material production for weapons” as adopted by the five original nuclear weapons states.

“India, by its own activities, makes it look that it wants an incredible number of nuclear weapons,” said Mr Albright who heads the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based non-proliferation group. “India is seizing this moment to develop an incredible nuclear weapon capacity,” he pointed out.

The experts said that 11 power reactors in India may have produced as much as 9,000kg of plutonium, which could be processed to make 1,000 nuclear weapons. India has an estimated 50 nuclear weapons now and a goal of 300-400 weapons in a decade, the experts said.

“If India is really only interested in a minimal credible deterrent, there’s no need for additional effort to try to have as much of a plutonium production capability as possible, way beyond the needs of fissile material production,” said Mr Kimball of the Arms Control Association.

Supporting Mr Kimball’s argument, Mr Albright said he saw “an almost greed” in India’s attitude. “It makes me wonder, what are India’s plans to build nuclear weapons? Is it that we have to be prepared to build 1,000? 2,000? 200? 100?” he asked.