India, Oct. 20 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday hailed New Delhi as a 'powerful, influential' nation, and said that India-US ties will define 21st century.

Speaking at the 'Freedom 250 Reception' in Mumbai, Rubio said, "It is a great honour to be back here today. At the press conference today, somebody asked a question, why are you back in India after just four months? And I said, well, number one, it happens to be the most populous nation on Earth. It happens to be the oldest democracy on Earth. It happens to be such a strong geopolitical partner."

Rubio, who is on a three-day visit to India, said he believes the relationship between US and India is defining, in a positive way, what 21st century can look like.

"If you t...