New Delhi:
US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in India on Monday on a four-day visit, the second high-level visit by the US in a month aimed at keeping up the momentum in bilateral ties.
Mr Biden, who is accompanied by his wife Jill, was received by Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai as his aircraft landed at the Indian Air Force station, Palam.
Shortly after arriving in New Delhi, Mr Biden and his wife visited Gandhi Smriti, a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.
The visit by the US vice president, his first since his swearing-in, is expected to lay the groundwork for the visit in September by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the US. US Secretary of State John Kerry had visited India last month.
Enhanced economic cooperation, defence, energy, nuclear and regional issues are expected to be on the table when Mr Biden meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday for talks. There will be no delegation-level talks.
"I think you can expect the vice president to set out an ambitious vision for the US-India relationship, looking not just at the months ahead or the years ahead, but the decades ahead. And in particular, I think he will highlight all of the areas of potential - the economic potential of our relationship," a White House official said.
Mr Biden has said he wants to see an acceleration in bilateral trade, which is on track to touch $100 billion this year.
He is to call on President Pranab Mukherjee, meet Vice President Hamid Ansari, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday.
Mr Biden will leave for Mumbai on Tuesday evening, where he will address the business community and students. From Mumbai, he will depart for Singapore on Thursday on the last leg of his week-long trip.
In Mumbai, he will deliver a speech on US-India relations and meet the business community and students.
"This trip will be an important opportunity to strengthen our partnerships within the region and reaffirm our commitment to re-balancing US foreign policy towards the Asia-Pacific," the White House said.
Mr Biden will attend a dinner to be hosted by Vice President Ansari at Hyderabad House on Tuesday, before leaving for Mumbai.