Kerry is likely to arrive here on Sunday evening and is slated to co-chair the fourth India-US Strategic Dialogue alongwith the Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday.

Kerry is being accompanied by a high-level delagation including US Secretary for Energy Dr Ernest Moniz, Science and TechnologyAdministrator, NASA Director, USAID Director, Pacific Commander Admiral Locklear and senior officials from the US Department of State and Department of Homeland Security.

Both sides will review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global issues. Discussions on bilateral relations are likely to be on defence and security, trade and investment, sciene and technology, clean energy and environment. Cooperation in space technology is also on the agenda for discussion.

Cyber security, megacity policing , security relating to ovement of people and goods across the globe, illicit finance and counterfeit currency, capacity building in police force are likely to be discussed. India is interested in securing technologies for homeland security used by US law enforcement authorities.

India is interested in purchase of gas from US and GAIL has been designated as the importing agency. Discussions are likely on shale gas and India is interested in US capacity in terms of technology, capital and regulatory experience in managing shale gas.

Next round of India-US Energy Dialogue will be hosted by India.

India-US Defence cooperation is on the agenda for discussion including DTI. There will discussions on application of science and technology in agriculture including meteorology. H1B, L and student visas given by US will also figure in the talks.

Kerry is expected to call on the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday. He will also speak at a discussion on India-US Partnership in Green and Affordable Innovation in the evening

Kerry will jointly launch India-US Higher Education Dialogue alongwith the Indian Human Resource Development Minister Dr MM Pallam Raju on Tuesday. India has planned to set up 200 community colleges for technical education on the lines of that in US. Discussions on cooperation between the colleges for higher education in both the countries are on the agenda. India is interested in rolling out massive online open courses (MOOCs).

During the dialogue, major announcements are expected. This includes Second Round of Singh-Obama Knowledge Initiative Awards which have 8 joint research programmes under it, first batch of 126 Raman Fellows, who are being sponsored by UGC to take up Post-Doctoral research in US institutions and “Connect India” Programme for US students to come to India.

To promote community colleges in India, a framework has been developed by the HRD Ministry after the first India-US Higher Education Summit and International Conference on Community Colleges. It was organized in February this year in the Indian capital. Following unprecedented response from both academia and the industry, five community college principals/leaders will be sponsored for a visit to community colleges in US for the leadership development. The two sides may also agree to promote cyber networks through IIT Delhi and University of Nebraska.

The Plenary session will be followed by three working session on students mobilities and research collaborations, community colleges and technology enabled education. The working sessions would be co-chaired by Secretary (HE) Ashok Thakur and US Under Secretary of State Tara Sonenshine.