File photo of PM Narendra Modi with US President Barack Obama (Press Trust of India)
US President Barack Obama will land in New Delhi on Sunday, January 25, on a three-day visit during which he will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations, sources have said. He will be accompanied by his wife Michelle.
President Obama will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the day he lands, the sources said.
In Delhi, the US President will also address a CEO's roundtable. It is not confirmed whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present at that meeting or when it will be held.
Before they leave India on Tuesday, January 27, the Obamas also plan to fly to Agra and visit the Taj Mahal, the sources said.
A final security and protocol meeting on the US President's visit will be held this Friday. Intelligence agencies had warned last month that the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba might plan an attack in India to coincide with the Obama visit and a security alert has been issued.
President Obama had in November accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. The US had confirmed the visit soon after PM Modi announced on Twitter that he had invited Mr Obama to New Delhi.
"This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over...invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest," PM Modi had tweeted.
Earlier this week, US Secretary of state John Kerry visited India to lay the groundwork for President Obama's visit.
"He is excited to be the chief guest at the function and the fact that he is the first US president to visit India twice during his term really says a lot about the values both countries have placed on the criticality of the relationship," Mr Kerry said, listing cooperation on investment, civil nuclear energy, climate change and anti-terrorism measures as areas of focus.
President Obama and PM Modi had met in September at the White House in Washington for talks on two consecutive days.