India's Modi rolls out red carpet for new buddy Obama

[prasad1]

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Barack Obama arrives in India this weekend for an unprecedented second visit by a serving US president, the honoured guest of his new friend Narendra Modi who was a Washington outcast only a year ago.


As well as holding bilateral talks, the leaders of the world's two largest democracies will address CEOs, appear on a radio phone-in and watch a spectacular parade together in a visit that underscores their closeness.


The US president and wife Michelle will also travel to the Taj Mahal, with hundreds of photographers on hand to snap the first couple's visit to the ultimate monument to love. Obama's courtship of Prime Minister Modi is evident from his three-day itinerary, the first time an incumbent president has returned to India.


While recent swings through Asia have included multiple stopovers, India is Obama's only destination this time, despite the risk of offending neighbouring Pakistan. "There's no question this is a defining time in the US-India relationship," US Ambassador Richard Verma said in New Delhi Wednesday. "Things not only feel different, they are different."


Modi's election in May 2014 was a potential headache for the US, which had blacklisted the Hindu nationalist for more than a decade after deadly communal riots in Gujarat when he was state chief minister.


View gallerySecurity has been increased at the Taj Mahal in preparation …
Security has been increased at the Taj Mahal in preparation for the visit of US President Barack Oba …
He was only brought in from the cold last February when Verma's predecessor travelled to Gujarat once it appeared Modi was likely to end the centre-left Congress party's 10-year rule.


The transformation since has been spectacular, with both men heartened by their meeting of minds on a range of issues in Washington in September. The US website Politico described their summit as a "love-in" and predicted Modi could become "America's new best buddy".


- Twitter invite -


Modi's November invitation "to have a friend over" was issued via Twitter and Obama's quick-fire acceptance underlined a sense of coordination.
India's Modi rolls out red carpet for new buddy Obama

 

[prasad1]

The ceremonial banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan in honour of the US President Barack Obama is tipped to be a star-studded affair, with President Pranab Mukherjee extending an invitation to leading industrialists, sportspersons and cine stars. President Obama will land in Delhi on January 25 for his second India visit and after a string of bilateral engagements, cap his first day with the ceremonial banquet.


Government sources said the guest list for the banquet– that is expected to serve well over a dozen courses- includes actor Amitabh Bachchan and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar apart from leading industrialists. Ratan Tata chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, Mukesh Ambani chairman Reliance Industries, Anil Ambani chairman Reliance Group, Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, Deepak Parekh HDFC chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Kiran Mazumbdar Shaw, Biocon chairman, and Shashi Ruia of Essar group are among those on the list.


The invitee list at Rashtrapati Bhavan- and the strong business component of the visit- mirrors the importance of business in the broader calculus of Indo-US strategic relations


The US President is slated to meet the business leaders again on January 26 when he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi address top CEOs at two focused back-to-back meetings. The first of these will be under the Indo-US CEOs forum, which was instituted in 2010 during Obama's first visit to India. This will be followed up with another meeting with CEOs organised by the US-India Business Council, an influential industry lobby group of top companies from both countries.

There are some members who are USA haters and BJP supporters, I can understand their predicament. LOL

 

[sudeshwer]

you see American business is business; so to sell their products they will go to any extent; also as Super Power the Americans have their own interest i.e. American interest. let India take care of its interest - srinivasan

 

[prasad1]

The parade concluded with three Russian-made Sukhoi jets performing the Trishul formation where the jets split up to form a trident with their contrails.

This year, for the first time, three all-women contingents from the army, navy and air force took part in an exquisite march past, following PM Modi's instructions to make "empowered Indian women" as the leitmotif of this year's parade.