US President George Bush, left, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shake hands in New Delhi, India, Thursday, March 2, 2006

A top U.S. business lobby group says the recently signed India-U.S. nuclear deal could open up $100 billion in business ventures for Americans in the Indian energy sector.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's senior vice president of international affairs, Dan Christman, made the remark.

He said the agreement would also spur energy-starved India's economic reforms and open markets to U.S. investment in key areas from information technology and telecommunications to pharmaceuticals and insurance.

The deal was clinched last week during President Bush's visit to New Delhi, but it still requires U.S. congressional approval.

The chamber represents more than three million American businesses and organizations, and it says it would make a "massive grassroots effort" to win congressional approval of the agreement.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.