Donald Trump is landing at Ahmedabad - the biggest city in PM Modi's home state - to a grand welcome.
Highlights
- "I look forward to being with the people of India": Donald Trump
- A high-powered delegation is accompanying the group
- "I get along very well with PM," Trump said
US President Donald Trump left for a two-day visit to India on Sunday with an upbeat remark, saying he was told by his "friend", Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that his visit would be the "biggest event" India ever had. The US President left Washington DC this evening with First Lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, who are advisors to the President. A high-powered delegation is accompanying the group.
"I look forward to being with the people of India, we will be with millions and millions of people. I get along very well with PM, he is a friend of mine. PM told me this will be the biggest event they have ever had," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr Trump had shared an edited video from the movie "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion" which shows his face morphed over the face of the film's actor. "Look so forward to being with my great friends in INDIA!" the caption read.
Ivanka Trump, who visited India for the Global Entrepreneurial Summit in 2018, tweeted, "Two years after joining @narendramodi at the Global Entrepreneurial Summit in Hyderabad, I am honored to return to India with @POTUS and @FLOTUS to celebrate that the grand friendship between the world's two largest democracies has never been stronger!"
PM Modi, too, had tweeted about the visit, sharing a video tweeted by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
"India looks forward to welcoming @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. It is an honour that he will be with us tomorrow, starting with the historic programme in Ahmedabad," his tweet read.
This would be President Trump's first visit to India.
The US President is landing at Ahmedabad - the biggest city in PM Modi's home state - to a grand welcome. He would also visit Agra and New Delhi.
The government earlier said the "Namaste Trump" event to welcome the US President will "showcase India's rich and diverse culture that will have few parallels in India or elsewhere".
The roadshow to Motera stadium will be attended by thousands. President Trump earlier said he was expecting seven million people at the event. Twenty-eight stages have been built along the route, on which artistes will be performing.
"The roadshow will feature Mahatma Gandhi's life," the foreign ministry earlier said.
The programme at the Motera Stadium would be like the "Howdy Modi" event, the ministry said, referring to the mega programme at Houston in US in September, where President Trump had shared stage with PM Modi.
Delhi's ITC Maurya, where President Trump will check-in on Monday night, has been brought under an unprecedented security cover with anti-sabotage teams involving the Army and paramilitary conducting checks on the routes to be taken by the visiting dignitary.