Gephardt, a Democratic Presidential hopeful who recently subsumed his ambitions in favour of Al Gore, is an important lawmaker who could influence US foreign policy, especially if the Democrats recapture the House under his leadership in the 2000 elections. This will be his first visit to India.

The youthful Congressman from Missouri has been active mostly on the China front, rarely concentrating his attention on India in the past although he is a member of the India caucus. But in a statement on Wednesday ahead of his visit, Gephardt said he was "particularly interested in India's role in the global community as it related to regional stability and bilateral and multilateralcompetitiveness and economic relations."

``I have long believed that India, as the world's largest democracy, and the United States, as the world's oldest democracy, need to have a strong bilateral relationship. Our common beliefs provide the foundations for our nations to work together toward improved relationship and enhanced regional stability in South Asia,'' Gephardt said of His March 28-April 5 trip that will also take him to Naples and Prague en route.

While such homilies have been flogged before, India's nuclear tests last May had soured the mood on the Hill. But there has been a dramatic improvement in the mood on the Hill, the US legislative beehive, based on New Delhi's assurances that it will not stand in the way of the nuclear test ban treaty coming into force. The big to-do over the Chinese spying flap is also forcing some lawmakers to reassess their outlook of India.

Over the past week, lawmakers in both the US Senate and Congress have moved pieces of legislation aimed at relaxingsanctions against India and Pakistan which were put in place following the nuclear tests. Although the implements and implications of the proposed legislations are different, the intent is the same: to signal to both countries that compliance with the international nuclear non-proliferation regime will be favourably viewed on the Hill.

The 28-member Gephardt-led delegation will include nine other lawmakers including California's Nancy Pelosi, a liberal Congresswoman who has majority Asian constituents in her California district, and who takes a deep interest in foreign policy issues.

Others in the delegation include Jim McDermott, a prominent member and co-chair of the India Caucus who is making his third visit to India since the nuclear tests.

The heavyweight Congressional Delegation (Codel), which usually commandeers a military plane from the Pentagon if more than seven lawmakers are traveling together, is expected to visit New Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore. Meetings are expected with the Indian PrimeMinister, Defence Minister and the External Affairs minister.

The Codel is scheduled to stop by in Naples, Italy, which is the Nato Southern Command headquarters, where the Kosovo operations could be in full swing. Indian officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the Kosovo developments will not derail the trip. This is the sixth time Gephardt has scheduled an India trip in the last three years and each time it has been scuppered by some development or the other.