"But they've got their own coalition politics and political considerations to take into account," he said noting that "it's a democratic country."

Negroponte, who was the first US director of National Intelligence, said: "India is an area where we really have had a significant improvement in the relationship with that country. And I think we look at India much more strategically than we used to."

Asked how he saw the world, he said he saw "it quite hopefully and quite optimistically for a whole variety of reasons".

"I think world economies are doing better. The lives of people are generally around the world are improving. I think if you look at the five continents, our position, our standing, our relationships have by and large improved in recent years, certainly reaching out to Asia, good relationship with the People's Republic of China, our relations with Japan and the Southeast Asian countries are on a strong footing, reaching out to the Indian subcontinent, developing a strategic relationship with India."

Asked if he saw India as a wedge against China, Negroponte said: "I think, I see India as a large country, more than one billion people, which is democratic, and which the United States cannot afford to ignore.