President Ferdiand Marcos Jr. will hold bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials on Tuesday to discuss economic, defense and security, political cooperation, trade, investment and economic cooperation.

Marcos left for India Monday morning for a three-day state visit. He arrived around 4:20 pm, Manila time.

"We intend to explore these potentials by charting a plan of cooperation across a broad spectrum of shared interests: from defense, trade, and investment, to health and pharmaceuticals, connectivity, agriculture, tourism, and many others," Marcos said in his speech before his departure for India at the Villamor Airbase.

"It is incumbent upon us, now more than ever, to maximize the opportunities in trade and investment with the world’s fourth largest economy," he added.

Based on the latest data, India is 14th among export markets from January to June after the country sent $100.92 million worth of goods.

During the same period, the Philippines imported $140.94 million worth of goods.

He will lead a business delegation to New Delhi and Bangalore to meet with Indian business leaders, particularly those engaged in Information Technology, to explore investment opportunities. DMS