Making a strong case for Japan [Images] to support the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, a Tokyo-based policy group has said the pact will throw open business opportunities for Japanese firms, besides promote cooperation in science and technology.

The political significance, promotion of cooperation in science and technology and likely contribution by Japanese corporations involved in nuclear power are among the reasons cited by the Japan Forum on International Relations in support of the deal.

JFIR's 29th policy recommendations -- India's Leap Forward and India -- calls for cooperation with India on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Addressing India's growing energy demands and needs to reduce global warming, the group says India will presumably want to heavily depend on "nuclear power in the future."

On concerns related to nuclear weapons proliferation if the Indo-US deal is implemented, the group points out that India has always called for nuclear disarmament despite being outside the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"It did not abandon those policies even after declaring it had acquired a nuclear force," says the report while calling on the Japanese government to cooperate with India on the nuclear deal issue.