MUMBAI — South African President Jacob Zuma arrived in India on Wednesday at the start of a three-day tour, his first state visit to an Asian country since taking office last May.
Zuma, 68, is accompanied by a 200-member business delegation, officials said, underlining the increasing importance of trade and investment ties between the two countries.
India's trade with South Africa, one of Africa's fastest growing economies, touched 7.5 billion dollars in 2008-2009, according to Indian government figures.
"We are also negotiating a bilateral investment and promotion agreement to boost our economic relationship further," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash told reporters at a briefing ahead of the visit.
Zuma's first stop was the financial hub of Mumbai, where he will launch a bilateral trade forum on Thursday.
