Sindhu won the Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016 and also finished second at last year's World Championships in Glasgow.

Her rivals at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium will include Spain's Carolina Marin, the second seed who beat Sindhu to Olympic gold in Rio.

Thailand's former world champion Ratchanok Intanon is seeded third while Saina Nehwal, another Indian hope, is ranked fourth.

Nehwal was runner-up at last week's BWF Indonesia Masters, losing to world number one Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei in the final in Jakarta yesterday.

The London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, who won a medal of the same colour at the Glasgow Worlds last year, knocked out Sindhu in the last eight.

Sindhu will begin her campaign against Natalia Koch Rohde of Denmark with Marin facing a qualifier.

Nehwal has been drawn against Denmark's Sofie Holmboe Dahl with Intanon paired with India's home player Rasika Raje.

In the men's draw, India will also have high hopes of success with second seed Srikanth Kidambi now the best-ranked player left in.

It follows the withdrawal of world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, who retired injured from the Indonesia Masters with a foot problem.

Kidambi will play Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in round one.

Chinese Taipei's third seed Chou Tien-chen will begin against Denmark's Rasmus Gemke with fourth seed Shi Yuqi of China opening against India's Sourabh Varma.

The Super 500 tournament begins tomorrow and will conclude on February 3.