5-member US delegation to visit India

The five-member delegation also includes Senators Michael Bennet and Tom Udall; and Representatives Joseph Crowley and Cedric Richmond. While Warner is co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, Crowley is co-chair of the Congressional India Caucus in the House of Representatives.

The delegation, during their stay from January 7 to January 14, will meet with top government and business leaders in New Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Kolkata, exploring opportunities to expand business, trade, defense and cultural relationships between the two countries.

The highlights of the trip include a visit to a National basketbal Association-sponsored camp for the young in New Delhi, and the signing of a new partnership agreement between the Virginia Community College System and the Wadhwani Foundation, a leading nonprofit foundation, to expand training curriculum for skilled trades within India, said a statement issued by the office of Senator Warner.

"The delegation will also attend the Confederation of Indian Industry`s Partnership Summit in Hyderabad, and the congressional delegation will be the first to visit the state of West Bengal since the Communist Party was defeated after 34 years of party rule there," it said.

Through the week, the delegation will also learn more about education, child health, food safety and water purification efforts in the poorer regions of India, the statement said.

In addition, the delegation has scheduled dozens of meetings with top government officials and leading executives of India`s security, energy, biotech and IT industries to explore export and investment opportunities between the two nations, the statement said.