Obama credits Gandhi for White House success

US President Barack Obama has paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in an address to the Indian parliament, saying studying the legacy of India's independence icon had helped propel him to the White House.

Obama described the personal impact of Gandhi's teachings of non-violence and equality on his political career and said he felt honoured to visit Gandhi's residence, where decades later Martin Luther King had stayed.

The US president is in Delhi as part of a 10-day Asian tour designed to boost US exports.