NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday ruled out deploying troops in Afghanistan but reiterated its participation in the war-torn country's development activities.

Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made the country's stance on Afghanistan clear to her visiting U.S. counterpart James Mattis during the delegation-level talks in the national capital.

"There shall not be any (Indian) boots on the ground in Afghanistan," Sitharaman told the media after the talks with Mattis.

For his part, Mattis said "We value India's invaluable contribution to Afghanistan and welcome further efforts to promote Afghanistan's democracy, safety and security."

The U.S. defense secretary arrived in the Indian capital late on  Monday night on a two-day visit to this country.—APP