Indo-US cooperation in defence technology and trade initiatives will be the focus of her visit to India which is part of her maiden visit to four Asian countries that would also take her to Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.
She will also discuss the situation in the South China Sea besides the growing threat of terrorism.
"We will be looking to see how can we deepen our partnerships and how can we take it to the next level," James said in response to a question at a press briefing here yesterdayon what her focus will be during her visit to India.
She said she will discuss defence technology and follow up on the trade initiatives, which were launched during US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's visit to India in April.
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"I am also aware of the Prime Minister's push for Make in India and the importance of creating new jobs in that sector. One of the proposals would be to co-produce certain aircraft in India and that might be one example of something that will be useful from a military standpoint but also might play into the Make in India campaign," she said.
She, however, noted that while some proposals will move forward, others may not if they are not the right fit.
Describing the Indian Air Force as a "very effective fighting unit", she said it has been a participant over the years in "red-flag" exercise series, where the US gets together with coalition partners to train and inter-operate and "test ourselves in a high-end and very challenging difficult environment".
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