India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin during ceremonial reception in New Delhi

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday condoled the death of a Group Captain of the Indian Air Force in an accident involving a MiG-21 Bison aircraft in Gwalior this week. "First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest condolences for the tragic accident that killed an Indian Air Force pilot earlier this week," the US Defence Secretary said in a statement after holding talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Group Captain Ashish Gupta was killed in the accident on Wednesday when his aircraft went down after taking off for a combat training mission.

"Our hearts go out to his family and friends...and his death reminds us of the risks our brave service men and women take each day to defend our democracies, our people, and our way of life," he said.

Austin arrived here on Friday on a three-day visit as part of his three-nation first overseas tour that signalled the Biden administration's strong commitment to its relations with its close allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

On Friday, Austin called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.