PM Modi meets the Indian community at the Andrews Air Force Base on his arrival in Washington, DC on Monday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other key US officials at the White House for a private dinner, ahead of formal talks in the Oval Office on Tuesday. (Also read:
PM Modi Arrives in Washington, Diplomacy the Main Course for Obama Dinner)
Mr Modi was welcomed by President Obama who greeted him in Gujarati, "
Kem Chho? (how are you?)," the mother tongue of the Prime Minister. First Lady Michelle Obama, however, gave the dinner a miss.
Washington hopes that the visit, following the landslide election victory of Mr Modi's BJP in May, will turn a page in relations with New Delhi.
Earlier on Monday, at a high-powered breakfast meeting with top CEOs in New York, Mr Modi emphasised India's economic potential, stressing that the country is "open-minded" and "wants change that is not one-sided". (Also Read:
At Breakfast With CEOs in New York, PM Modi Says India Wants Change)
Mr Modi warmed up for the White House visit by basking in a rock star welcome in New York in which he spoke to thousands of members of the Indian diaspora at the Madison Square Garden sports arena and addressed the United Nations. (Also read:
Madison Square Garden Programme Was Overwhelming: Narendra Modi)
"For the encouragement and the love and affection I have got, I am very grateful to this city and the United States," he said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Monday. (Also read:
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US officials have welcomed Modi's vows to slash red tape confining India's economy and his overtures to business leaders who have long chafed at restrictions on foreign investment in the country.
But Washington is concerned about New Delhi's recent move to block a key World Trade Organization pact that would streamline customs procedures and boost global commerce.
Mr Modi said on Monday that he was in favour of unfettered trade - but said commerce must be done in such a way that enhances India's capacity to feed its most impoverished citizens and to protect its emerging middle class.
He said that despite some differences with Washington, the wider relationship could still improve.
"It is not necessary we should have comfort in everything, even between a husband and wife, there is never 100 percent comfort," Mr Modi joked at the Council on Foreign Relations. (Also read:
PM Modi's Addresses Council on Foreign Relations in New York: Highlights)
Though Mr Modi showed up at the White House for an early evening dinner on Monday, extreme diplomacy will be required as the PM is fasting and that makes the whole meal invitation somewhat tricky. (Also read:
With PM Modi Sipping Water, Diplomacy the Main Course For Obama Dinner)
Prime Minister Modi is on the fifth day of the nine-day Navratri fast, a ritual he observes strictly every year. The White House has, according to some sources, prepped an all-vegetarian meal for the others.
Though he is surviving entirely on warm water - even though a special "nimbu-pani" (lime water) concentrate had been packed with his luggage - Mr Modi had impressed audiences with his powerful and engaging speeches.