"In Asia, Indian leadership is expanding prosperity and the security across the region," Obama said after meeting with Singh at the White House. "And the United States welcomes and encourages India's leadership."

Obama's statement appeared crafted to assuage fears in India that his administration was less committed than his predecessor's to a strong relationship with it.

In 2005, President George W. Bush signed a breakthrough deal committing the United States to cooperating with India in the development of its nuclear-power industry, even though India won't sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Yesterday, Obama said that the United States would "fully implement" the 2005 nuclear accord and that the two countries would cooperate on a "clean-energy initiative."

The nuclear deal has been held up partly because it is still unclear how India will handle uranium provided to it by U.S. nuclear firms.

Indian officials and analysts had expressed concern that during his trip to East Asia last week, Obama failed to mention India in a speech about U.S. policy in the region and appeared to endorse a peacemaking role for China in India's hostile relations with Pakistan.

Beijing is a strong backer of Pakistan. The Washington Post recently reported that China gave Pakistan a blueprint for a nuclear device in the 1970s and provided it with key materials to build one.

Over the last two days, Singh has joined Obama in stressing the democratic values their countries share.

In that, said C. Raja Mohan, a Washington-based columnist for the Indian Express newspaper, Singh is a new kind of Indian leader.

"In the past, it was all about postcolonial issues" with the West, he said. Now "Singh is signaling that we have a comfort level with the United States that no one else has, and the U.S. should see that."

In remarks before the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday night, Singh took a few swipes at China that sent titters through the crowd.

In a reference to recent forceful Chinese assertions of territorial claims on India, Singh noted "a certain amount of assertiveness on the part of the Chinese" over longtime border disputes.

He also said that while China's development had been faster than India's, "I've always believed that there are other values which are important than the growth of the gross domestic product" - democracy and respect for human rights, among them.

Administration officials said it was no accident that India was chosen as the first nation for a state visit and an elaborate state dinner yesterday for the Indian leader and hundreds of guests. Obama also accepted Singh's invitation to visit India next year.

The two countries routinely share intelligence, particularly since the deadly extremist attacks in Mumbai a year ago.

Trade relations, while not of Chinese proportions, are strong; Indian firms have invested $10 billion in the U.S. economy; and Indian Americans represent the most successful group of recent immigrants, playing leading roles in Silicon Valley.

But the two countries start from different places when it comes to climate change.

Washington would like India to aggressively reduce carbon emissions. The Indians contend the developed world should bear a larger share of that responsibility.

India has also been reluctant to impose tough sanctions on Iran, with which it has a strong economic ties.

Obama and Singh may be closer on Afghanistan.

Teresita Shaffer, a former State Department official, said Indians did not want the United States to fail in Afghanistan, because they believe it would mean "a much bigger footprint for militant Islam."