President Marcos will push for deeper defense and economic cooperation with India—including new agreements on science, law, and technology—during his five-day state visit to New Delhi and Bangalore next week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

In a pre-departure briefing in Malacañan, DFA Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs Assistant Secretary Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq said the visit, which runs from Aug. 4 to 8, will include discussions on trade, maritime cooperation, and regional security as the Philippines and India mark 75 years of diplomatic relations.

“This visit is to further strengthen the Philippines’ partnership with India, to proactively engage in all aspects of our relations, and seize opportunities for greater security, economic, science and technology, and people-to-people cooperation,” she said on Friday, Aug. 1.

The visit, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of Philippine-India diplomatic relations, was arranged upon the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi extended the invitation through a letter to President Marcos during India’s Independence Day celebrations last year.

Marcos is expected to sign at least six bilateral agreements during his visit, with more possibly being finalized as the trip progresses.

“We have upwards of six agreements to be concluded, though the working day is not yet over, so we expect more to come,” Jimenez-Ducrocq said.

“These agreements range from our cooperation in law, culture, science and technology, and many other areas,” she added.

According to Jimenez-Ducrocq, President Marcos will have a “very high-level” schedule in India. He will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, and other Cabinet officials.

He is set to meet about 200 members of the Filipino community immediately following his arrival in New Delhi in the afternoon of Aug. 4. According to DFA records, about 1,356 Filipinos are registered in India, many of whom are professionals or spouses of Indian nationals.

While in the capital, Marcos will meet with Indian President Droupadi Murmu and hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi to discuss defense, political and economic cooperation, trade, investment, and regional concerns.

“The two leaders (Marcos and Modi) will discuss closer cooperation and economic, defense and security, political cooperation, trade, investment, and economic cooperation, and how to further invigorate people-to-people exchanges,” she said.

“They are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of common concern,” she added.

Marcos will also meet the chairman of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India’s ruling party.

The trip also features two major business forums—one in New Delhi and another in Bangalore, India’s tech capital—where the President is expected to meet Indian CEOs exploring potential investments in the Philippines.

According to Jimenez-Ducrocq, a number of companies have reportedly expressed interest in entering the Philippine domestic market.

“I think a number of companies have investments in the facilities, and so we're looking to expand these investments from the same companies, or to reach out the new companies,” she said.

“Bangalore is India’s Silicon Valley, and as you know, in ICT, in technology, they are quite strong. So we are hoping to establish various connections, especially for the right sector,” she added.

Meanwhile, President Marcos will deliver a foreign policy address at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.