U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia, Lindsey W. Ford, visited the TATA-Lockheed Martin Aerospace facility in Hyderabad on Friday.

She also attended a round table at start-up incubator T-Hub, in which tech entrepreneurs from sectors as diverse as aerospace, healthcare, automotive, and software participated, the US Consulate said in a statement.

“This visit highlights the strength of Hyderabad’s emerging tech sector and the Telangana government’s instrumental role in supporting start-up's, as well as the defence ties that are contributing [to] the U.S.-India partnership,” said U.S. Consul General Joel Reifman.

TATA Advanced Systems’ partnerships with U.S. firms such as Lockheed, Boeing and GE - along with the presence of other U.S. firms like Honeywell Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney - have created a thriving environment for the aerospace and defence industry in Telangana.

The Consulate said Ms. Ford serves as the principal advisor to senior leadership within the U.S. Department of Defence for all policy matters pertaining to development and implementation of defence strategies and plans for South and Southeast Asia. Prior to her arrival in Hyderabad, she attended the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.