Modi's US visit from Sept 21-27

Trump announcement likely at ‘Howdy Modi’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the US September 21-27, during which he will address the ' Howdy Modi' mega diaspora event in Houston, to be also attended by US President Donald Trump, and he will also address the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, announcing the schedule of the PM said, the two cities on the PM's itinerary are Houston in Texas and then New York.

Modi is scheduled to arrive in Houston on Saturday.

A day later, he would be joined by President Trump during the address to the mega 'Howdy Modi' rally.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a visit to the US from the late afternoon of 21 September until the forenoon of 27 September. And the two cities on his itinerary are Houston in Texas and then New York," Gokhale said.

Modi will address the UN General Assembly session on the morning of September 27, he said.

Modi will also host a special event 'Leadership Matters: Relevance of Gandhi in the Contemporary World' on September 24. He will be joined leaders of a few countries at this event. US President Donald Trump has hinted of an announcement when he shares a stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the muchanticipated 'Howdy Modi' event on Sunday night in Houston, Texas.

When asked by a reporter on Wednesday about a possible announcement at the event, Trump replied "could be", adding that he shares a "very good relationship" with Modi.

This will be the first time that the two leaders will share a platform together.

It is a rare honour for a US President to appear at an ethnic meeting with a foreign leader and has not happened on the scale of the Houston rally in recent memory.

Trumps's remark comes a day after the Washington Examiner, quoting US officials and industry "insiders", on Tuesday said in a report that the two countries were "nearing a trade breakthrough" ahead of Modi's visit to the US.

Over 50,000 people have registered for the event hosted by the Texas India Forum at the NRG Stadium in Houston. The organizers have put together a 90-minute cultural extravaganza - "Woven: The Indian-American Story".

Huge billboards have sprung up across Houston and other places to welcome Modi on his US tour.

Over 60 US lawmakers are expected to attend the event.