US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged warm words of friendship in Texas at a rare mass rally for a foreign leader. Around 50,000 people gathered for what Mr Trump called a “profoundly historic event” on Sunday in Houston.
The “Howdy, Modi!” event was billed as one of the largest ever receptions of a foreign leader in the US.
The event kicked off a busy week in the US for Modi, with no fewer than 40 meetings to attend. Apart from bilateral talks with Trump, he spoke at the UN General Assembly, will attend a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, and appeared at the UN’s Climate Action Summit. Modi also collected a “global goalkeeper” award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for his government’s Swachh Bharat or “Clean India” initiative.
He invited global businesses to invest in India, saying historic reduction in corporate tax rates by his government creates a golden opportunity and promised more measures to improve business climate. Speaking at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum, the Prime Minister said India offers a golden opportunity for investment in the country. “If you want to invest in a market where there is scale, come to India.
If you want to invest in start-ups with a huge market, come to India…If you want to invest in one of the world’s largest infrastructure ecosystem, come to India,” he told global corporates. “Your desires and our dreams match perfectly, your technology and our talent can change the world,” Modi told the American corporates. Modi promised democracy, political stability, independent judiciary to the businesses.
