NEW US AMBASSADOR

The US Senate has confirmed Richard Rahul Verma, President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next American ambassador to India, making him the first Indian-American envoy in New Delhi.

Verma, 45, a former key aide to then secretary of state Hillary Clinton, was approved by the Senate by a unanimous voice vote, signifying the bipartisan support for better India-US relations.

He is expected to take up his position in New Delhi before Obama's visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day, the first US president to get the honour.

At his confirmation hearing last week, Verma told the Senate Foreign Relations committee that Obama's "historic visit to India in January" will build on "Modi's highly successful visit to the United States this past September."

"There is no question that this is a defining and exciting time in the US-India relationship," he said. "There's little doubt the relationship has been reenergized, with renewed enthusiasm to take our partnership to the next level."

Verma, whose parents emigrated from India in the sixties, also acknowledged the contribution of immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and vowed to "strive to live up to the high standards they have set."