India has stepped up its development assistance to the Maldives after the two leaders held talks in New Delhi in a bid to repair strained ties that saw the president of the Indian Ocean archipelago forging closer relations with China.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was given a red carpet welcome on his first state visit to India Monday, a trip aimed at repairing frail ties between the South Asian neighbours.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was given a red carpet welcome on his first state visit to India on Monday, a trip Prime Minister Narenda Modi said marked a "new chapter" to reset troubled ties. Pro-China Muizzu came to power a year ago on a promise to evict dozens of Indian troops deployed in his small but strategically located archipelago.