US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have arrived in New Delhi for the start of a three-day visit to India.
Mr Obama, who landed in the capital at around 9:40am local time, was given a red carpet welcome and received a hug from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival.
Thousands of security personnel have been deployed in Delhi, along with some 15,000 cameras.
It is the second time the president has travelled to India while in office.
The two leaders are due to hold detailed talks later today on a range of issues including climate change, defence cooperation, intelligence sharing, and a civil nuclear power agreement.
Analysts say it appears unlikely that their discussions will result in major policy breakthroughs -, but the mere fact that they are talking is a sign of progress given recent tensions that have marred relations between the US and India.
Their relationship hit rock bottom in later 2013 when Indian Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade was arrested and strip-searched in New York over allegations she lied on visa forms to bring her maid to the US while paying her a pittance.
The diplomatic row saw the Stars and Stripes torched on the streets of New Delhi. But ties between the two countries have been steadily improving since Mr Modi took office last May.
He and Mr Obama met for the first time late last year in Washington, and officials from both countries say they quickly developed an "easy chemistry".
In an interview ahead of his arrival, Mr Obama hailed the "remarkable" rise of the Mr Modi (64), the son of a tea-seller who was elected the leader last year of the world's largest democracy.
He told India Today magazine: "When I addressed the Indian Parliament on my last visit (in 2010), I outlined my vision for how we could become global partners meeting global challenges."
"I'd like to think that the stars are aligned to finally realise the vision I outlined."
Mr Obama will be the chief guest at Monday's Republic Day parade in the capital.
He had been due to visit the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra on Tuesday, but he has scrapped that leg of his trip in order to attend the funeral of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia.
