After an overnight transit halt in Frankfurt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left on Friday for his maiden visit to the US during which he will address the UN General Assembly, hold talks with President Barack Obama and meet top American corporate honchos besides a series of other engagements.Modi will have a summit-level meeting with US President Barack Obama during his tour.
Describing America as India's "natural global partner", Modi said on Friday the complementary strengths of the two democracies can be used for inclusive and broad-based development to transform lives across the globe.
A grand welcome awaits the PM in the US. On his first leg of the high-profile five-day visit, Modi will land in New York, where he will address the 69th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday and a rally at the famous Madison Square Garden, which is likely to be attended by around 20,000 people from the Indian-American community.
"The US is our natural global partner. India and the US embody the enduring and universal relevance of their shared values," Modi wrote in an op-ed in the The Wall Street Journal.
Modi, who in recent interview to a TV channel had expressed hope about better India-US ties, also said the thriving Indian-American community in the United States was a metaphor for the potential of India-US partnership, and for the possibilities of an environment that nurtures enterprise and rewards hard work.
He added the two countries had a fundamental stake and many shared interests in each other's success.
"That is also the imperative of our partnership. And it will be of great value in advancing peace, security and stability in the Asia and Pacific regions; in the unfinished and urgent task of combating terrorism and extremism; and in securing our seas, cyber space and outer space, all of which now have a profound influence on our daily lives," he said.
Observesrs are keenly watching Modi's visit to the US, which had denied him a visa in 2005 in the aftermath of the Gujarat riots three years before that. However, the US had signalled the end of its nine-year boycott of Modi ahead of the general elections that brought him to power.
US ambassador Nancy Powell met him in Gujarat in February, marking a thaw in the relationship. US President Barack Obama congratulated him after his poll vistory.
US defence secretary Chuck Hagel and vice-president Joe Biden have already visited India during the BJP government's tenure.
In the op-ed piece, Modi said the complementary strengths of India and the US can be used for inclusive and broad-based global development to transform lives across the world.
"This is a moment of flux in the global order. I am confident in the destiny of our two nations, because democracy is the greatest source of renewal and, with the right conditions, offers the best opportunity for the human spirit to flourish," Modi said.
"With sensitivity to each other's point of view and the confidence of our friendship, we can contribute to more concerted international efforts to meet the pressing global challenges of our times."
Modi emphasised the role of technology in building partnerships between the two nations.
"Our strengths in information technology are especially important for leadership in the digital age. The partnership between our businesses takes place in the comfort and certainty of similar political systems and shared commitment to rule of law. In education, innovation, and science and technology, the US continues to inspire India," he said.
The Prime Minister will have a gruelling schedule in New York which includes a meeting with as many as 11 top corporate honchos over breakfast on September 29 apart from one-on-one meetings with six more business captains the same day.
Modi will pay a visit to the 9/11 memorial on Saturday following which he is expected to drive down to the United Nations headquarters to address the 69th annual session of the UNGA.
Obama will host a rare private dinner for Modi at the White House on September 29, so as to establish a personal relationship with the Indian leader ahead of summit talks the next day. The two leaders are meeting for the first time.
Modi will also be participating in a business meet, to be organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC), expected to be attended by 300-400 businessmen in Washington on September 30.
In the op-ed, Modi asserted that there was a "high tide of hope for change" in India, adding the country will be open and friendly for business and ideas to make it a new global manufacturing hub.
"We will create world-class infrastructure that India badly needs to accelerate growth and meet people 's basic needs. We will make our cities and towns habitable, sustainable and smart; and we will make our villages the new engines of economic transformation."
Ahead of his US visit, Modi unveiled a campaign on Thursday to turn India into a manufacturing powerhouse, vowing to remove bureaucratic sloth and make the country more investor friendly.
The 'Make in India' campaign is as much an invitation to domestic and foreign companies as a promise to rectify everything that has kept the country at almost the bottom of World Bank’s ‘ease of doing business’ index.
PTI
