Krishna conveyed India’s concerns over curbs on outsourcing and pressed for the dismantling of restrictions that bar US high-tech exports to India, well-placed sources said. “Discussions centered on President Obama’s upcoming visit, as well as regional and multilateral issues that advance the US-India bilateral relationship,” said the US embassy in a statement.

The visit of Burns and Blake tops a series of preparatory meetings in the last few months which were aimed at firming up deliverables during Obama’s maiden visit to India, starting Nov. 6.

Burns will also travel to Kolkata to meet with West Bengal Gov. M.K. Narayanan, a former national security adviser who played a key role in complex negotiations that led to the signing of the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal in October 2008.

This will be Obama’s longest state visit to a foreign country since becoming the US president.