US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Tulsi Gabbard, an American of Hindu faith, as the Director of National Intelligence.

The decision bodes well for India as Gabbard could help smoothen the intelligence-sharing arrangements between the two countries.

Gabbard, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army, hails from Hawaii. She was first noticed in India in 2013 when, after being elected to the US Congress, she took oath on the Bhagavad Gita.

Gabbard, her parents or grandparents are not of Indian origin. Her mother, Carol Porter Gabbard, adopted the Hindu faith and Tulsi followed in her footsteps.

.