File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
A top Mumbai designer, Troy Costa, has been hired to create the outfits that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will wear on his six-day visit to the US.
The move to hire Mr Costa, who designs for Bollywood stars, has given rise to speculation on whether Mr Modi - who favours crisp, half-sleeved kurtas, churidar pyjamas and Nehru jackets - might adopt a suit and tie for his US visit.
Mr Costa, who defines his label as "focusing on modern masculinity and flattering functionality", refuses to share what he has designed for Mr Modi. "I'd rather let my product speak than me personally," the 39-year-old told AFP.
For years, the white kurta-pyjama has been the uniform of male politicians in the country; the attire has served as an austerity badge that upholds the political credo of simple living.
But fashion experts say Mr Modi, 64, has taken political dressing to a new level. Apart from his trademark kurtas and tailored Nehru jackets, his use of colour makes him a fashion standout -- from canary yellow, to lime green to skyblue and the saffron of his party the BJP, and a lot of elegant cream.
The Prime Minister's power dressing is in line with his message of economic reform, and many credit him with demonstrating that Indian men don't have to forego traditional wear to look well-dressed.
"He's selling aspirational India," said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of one the few biographies on Mr Modi, adding that his affinity for traditional wear ties into his nationalist image.
Troy Costa, like Mr Modi, is a man from a humble background who pulled himself up by the bootstraps.
"I have no vices -- I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't love parties, I try to spend 14-to-15 hours a day working and I thank god I'm doing what I love," Mr Costa said.
Commentators say the PM is acutely aware of the image he wants to portray -- a self-made man who hasn't forgotten his roots.
GQ India editor Che Kurrien said Mr Modi, who won his sweeping mandate in the May national elections with the support India's young, upwardly mobile voters, has a "keen eye for what makes him look good".
"It's clear details matter to Mr Modi, from his designer eyewear, to his watch, to his waistcoat -- every part of his image counts," Mr Kurrien said.
Once in a while, the PM likes to mix Western attire with Indian -- sporting a Texan cowboy hat for instance. But he's best known for his signature half-sleeved kurta now known as the Modi Kurta. The tailor who refined the design, Bipin Chauhan of clothing chain Jade Blue, has trademarked the style -- with Mr Modi's permission.
His style sense has drawn potshots from opponents like Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, an old-style politician who seems to care not a jot about his appearance.
During the campaign for the national elections, Mr Yadav wondered aloud how much time Mr Modi would have to run the country when he "changes 500 kurtas a day and wears a new kurta to every meeting".
But most observers seem to be happier than Mr Yadav is with a leader who looks good on the national and international stage. "Seems like the era of unkempt, paan-chewing netas (leaders) with pot-bellies, crumpled dhotis and discoloured kurtas is a thing of the past," commented news magazine India Today.