India, May 23 -- US secretary of state Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day visit. The trip is focused on strengthening strategic ties, boosting cooperation under the Quad alliance, and advancing discussions on trade, defence and energy security.

Rubio's flight landed in Kolkata, starting his first official visit to India since taking office. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor welcomed Rubio. "Honored to welcome my friend [Rubio] to India," he wrote on X.

"We have an ambitious agenda ahead, including the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, focused on advancing [US President's] vision for an even stronger US-India partnership. Looking forward to great conversations and making real progress together!"

Rubio is expected to h...