US President Barack Obama took the opportunity to ease Indian fears that its relationship with Washington is on the back burner. As the White House pursues improved relations with rivals Pakistan and China.
 
Treating Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the first state visit of his presidency, Obama hailed India as “indispensable” to global security and prosperity.
 
However, the president is still wrestling with his next move in Afghanistan:
 
“ After eight years, some of those years in which we did not have, I think, either the resources or the strategy to get the job done, it is my intention to finish the job.”  
 
The two leaders attended a lavish state dinner after holding talks focussed on enhancing economic ties.
 
Business between the pair has rocketed in recent times, since India’s market reforms in the early 1990’s.
 
In 1990 two-way trade amounted to just over 3 billion euros, last year the pair exchanged some 33 billion euros, making the US India’s largest trading partner.

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