New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Washington in a few hours from now for his first ever meeting with President Barack Obama. The meeting is historic as this will be Modi's first ever meeting with a US president ever since Washington revoked his visa following the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 when he was Chief Minister.
Obama will host a private dinner for Modi and reports suggest that the Indian delegation will be served vegetarian dishes, keeping the sensitivities of the fasting PM in mind. Modi has been consuming only lime juice or plain water throughout his US trip as it coincided with the Navratri festival which involves nine days of fasting and prayer.
On Tuesday, Modi will hold a one-on-one meeting with Obama, during which the two sides are expected to discuss trade and investment and defence ties besides deliberating on regional security concerns.
Modi will then proceed for lunch with Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry. He will also pay his tributes at the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King memorial and Mahatma Gandhi statue in Washington. He is also expected to attend an event hosted by the Clinton foundation before concluding his five-day US trip.
Rousing welcome in New York
Narendra Modi received a rousing reception in New York on Sunday where more than three dozen top US lawmakers attended the public reception hosted for him at the iconic Madison Square Garden by the Indian-American community.
In an unprecedented welcome for an Indian Prime Minister, the Congressmen and Senators encircled the stage and waited as Modi came up on the stage. Attired in a saffron Nehru jacket and yellow kurta, the PM held the packed indoor stadium spellbound as nearly 20,000 people cheered for him.
Beaming with hope and confidence, the Prime Minister assured the crowd that the 21st century belongs to India. Amidst massive sloganeering in his favour by the ecstatic crowd, Modi said that India is growing at a rapid pace and it has the capability to lead the world.
"The 21st century will be that of India. By 2020, only India will be in a position to provide work force to the world," he said while citing examples of growing global demand for nurses and teachers to the crowd.
Appreciating the efforts put in by the NRIs, youth of the country and technology, he said that it is only through the combined efforts of all that India has been able to come out of the image of the "land of snake charmers".
With an eye on connecting with the NRIs, Modi announced the merger of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) schemes to facilitate hassle-free travel. He announced that PIO card holders staying in India on long-term basis will no longer have to report to the local police station.
Modi woos US CEOs
After addressing UN General Assembly on Saturday and Indian-American communities at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met top executives of American companies in New York.
"India is open-minded. We want change," the Prime Minister told the business honchos. "Change that is not one-sided," he added.
The breakfast meeting was attended by 11 CEOs, including those of Google, Citigroup and Pepsico. It was followed by one-on-one meetings with CEOs of six other companies like Boeing, IBM, GE and Goldman Sachs.
James McNerney, the CEO of Boeing said that after the meeting, the company wanted to "accelerate engagement with India".
During his five-day US trip, Modi is expected to unveil his government's new mantra of 'Come, Make in India' - to seek investment and assure them of a red carpet welcome minus the red tape.
Full coverage: Modi's US trip
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