Washington: The US and India Tuesday pledged to work together to boost trade ties ahead of President Barack Obama`s first visit to the Asian power next month.

Following a meeting in Washington between US Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma, the two sides in a joint statement said their "burgeoning" trade ties had become "an increasingly significant factor in the economic life and prosperity of our countries".

There was no mention in the statement of the disputes between the two countries over the outsourcing of US jobs to India and a recent hike in visa fees for Indians coming to the US.

Obama has pledged to double US exports in five years, and Kirk said India`s growing economy represented an opportunity to create jobs in the US manufacturing, farming and services sector.

India is the 17th largest market for US goods, though exports have doubled in the past five years.

BDST: 09:48 HRS, September 22, 2010