Will PM Modi's efforts be in wane as China leads opposition for NSG membership in Vienna?

India secured Mexico's support for its membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that controls access to sensitive nuclear technology but as the 48-nation club met in Vienna, China continued to oppose India's bid.

The NSG began a two-day meeting in the Austrian capital to consider India's application which is strongly supported by the US.

However, reports from Vienna said that China was leading the opposition to India's membership. Turkey, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and Austria are said to be backing the Chinese stand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the backing of Mexico during a short visit there after his talks in Washington with President Barack Obama who supported India's case.

In a letter, US Secretary of State John Kerry has made an appeal to NSG member states which are not supportive of India's membership bid, saying they should "agree not to block consensus on Indian admission" to the group when it again meets in Seoul later this month.

"India has shown strong support for the objectives of the NSG and the global nuclear nonproliferation regime and is a 'like-minded' state deserving of NSG admission," Kerry wrote, according to Bloomberg.

A joint statement issued after talks between Modi and Obama said the US called on NSG participating governments to support India's application when it comes up at the NSG Plenary later this month.