US President Barack Obama left for Mumbai on Friday, saying he would seek to pry open the Indian market for American businesses during his maiden visit to the country that is expected to give a fresh impetus to bilateral strategic and economic partnership.

In a statement before leaving for his four-nation Asia tour starting with India, Obama said he would be talking about opening up of additional markets in countries like India as American jobs depended greatly on American exports.

He said his administration had set a goal of doubling US exports over the next five years to create more jobs back home.

“It is absolutely clear that the key to creating new jobs is opening markets for American goods made by American workers. “And that is why on the trip I am undertaking, I will be talking about opening up additional markets in places like India,” said Obama, close on the heels of Democrats’ recent drubbing in US mid-term elections, largely attributed to the discontent over his government’s handling of unemployment and economy.

Pointing out that American businesses need to sell more products abroad for creating more jobs at home, Obama said he said “I am looking very much forward to helping to pry open markets for American businesses”.

He said focusing on the future, rather than on the “next election” was key to the success of the American future.

“This is a reminder (of the fact) that the most important competition we face in this century will not be between Democrats and Republicans, it is a competition with countries around the world to lead the global economy,” he said.