India and Japan today began crucial talks to clinch a deal to cooperate in the civilian nuclear energy that would allow sales of advanced technology by Japanese majors like Mitsubishi and Hitachi. Japan has so far been aloof to nuclear technology sharing with India because of New Delhi not being a signatory to the NPT.<br/> According to Japanese officials the ice was broken at a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his new Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan on the fringes of the G-20 summit in Toronto. India has already inked similar deals with eight countries, including the US, France, Russia and Canada.<br/>