US secretary of state John Kerry on Thursday met finance minister Arun Jaitley as he held meetings with the Narendra Modi government while seeking to reboot a relationship seen as a bulwark against a rising China.

The secretary of state will co-chair the 5th India-US strategic dialogue with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday.

The two sides are keen to lock in "transformative initiatives' to make Modi's visit result-oriented in spheres of energy, skill-development, defence and security.

India will also take up the issue of NSA snooping with Kerry. India's position that the trade facilitation agreement (TFA) at the World Trade Organisation -- be put on hold until a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security is found has riled the west, including the US.

Kerry arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to narrow the differences on various issues ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in September.