New Delhi | Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. kicked off his five-day visit to India starting Monday, during which he will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and take part in several engagements to bolster ties between the two countries.

On his arrival in New Delhi, he was received by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita.

"Mabuhay, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.! President@bongbongmarcoshas arrived in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Received by MoS @PmargheritaBJP and accorded a warm welcome.

"India & Philippines are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. This visit will lead to further strengthening of India-Philippines relations," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

This is his first visit to the country since assuming the office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, the MEA earlier said.

On day one of his visit, President Marcos is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar later in the evening.

His India visit spans from August 4 to 8, during which he will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi.

Modi and Marcos are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions on August 5.

The state visit of President Marcos coincides with the 75th anniversary of India-Philippines diplomatic relations.

The visit is an opportunity for both leaders to set the path for future bilateral cooperation and to engage on regional and international issues of mutual interest, the MEA said in a statement on July 31.

"He will be accompanied by First Lady Madame Louise Araneta Marcos, and a high-level delegation, including several Cabinet ministers, other dignitaries and senior officials, in addition to business representatives," the MEA had said.

President Marcos will also visit Bengaluru before returning to the Philippines on August 8.

Diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines were established in November 1949.