Modi's trip to US: All you need to know about PM's itinerary

The trip, Modi has said, will be a way to build on the substantial ground covered during his last visit to USA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head to the US on Thursday for a second time in his first term to attend the United Nations General Assembly – where he had last year appealed to the world to observe June 21 as international Yoga Day – and thereon to the West Coast and Silicon Valley, home of the intrepid Indian techie-entrepreneur-innovator. 
 

The trip, Modi has said, will be a way to “build on the substantial ground covered during my last visit to USA.”

He is also scheduled to meet with Mark Zuckerberg, a meeting that has a section of Indian-Americans riled enough to write an open letter to the Facebook founder, urging him to reconsider. 

In a series of Facebook posts, the PM lined up his agenda for the trip. Here is the list of events that Modi – who was barred from entering the US during his term as Gujarat CM – will attend over the course of his second official visit to the US. 

Date: 24, 25 September 

Place: New York

• In New York City, the Prime Minister will address the UN Sustainable Development Summit for formal adoption of post-2015 new sustainable development agenda at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

• PM Modi will also participate in a summit hosted by US President Barack Obama on peacekeeping, and pay his respects to the personnel who died during peacekeeping missions. Over 180,000 Indian troops have participated in UN peacekeeping missions - more than from any other country.

• He will host a summit of G-4 (Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan) leaders where the main agenda will be reforms to the UN Security Council. Recently, the UN General Assembly finally adopted a document after over 20 years that would form the basis of formal discussions on this matter. India is pushing for permanent membership of the UN Security Council (which would grant it a veto over any UNSC decision) “The 70th anniversary of the UN is an apposite moment for reform discussions to be accelerated,” wrote the PM.

• PM Modi will have a working dinner with as many as 50 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, including, among others, Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo CEO; Marillyn A Hewson, Lockheed Martin chairman; Ginni Rometty, IBM CEO; Mark Fields, Ford Motors president, and Jorge Mesquita, Johnson & Johnson chairman. He will also meet with heads of finance sector firms at a private event organised by JPMorgan Bank.

Date: 26 September 

Place: California

• Prime Minister Modi will visit the West Coast, known as the home of start-ups, innovation and technology. This is the first time in 33 years that an Indian PM will visit the region, despite the large concentration of Indian-American and IT workers there.

• He will also visit the campuses of Google, where he will meet new CEO Sundar Pichai, and Tesla Motors, where he will discuss renewable energy with Elon Musk. Modi is also scheduled to meet with Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook, and Adobe Systems’ CEO Shantanu Narayen. 

• Later, he will address a Renewable Energy Roundtable with USDOC and Stanford University.

• The same day, he is supposed to attend the ‘India-US Start-up Konnect’- hosted by the Nasscom, TiE Silicon Valley and IIM Ahmedabad's CIIE India, an event that Modi said was ‘enthusiastic’ about. At this event, a group of Indian start-ups will showcase their innovations and forge partnerships with the vibrant American start-up industry.

Date: 27 September 

Place: California

• Modi will take a tour of the offices of Facebook Inc., in Palo Alto. “I will be part of a Townhall Q&A at the Facebook HQ along with Mr. Mark Zuckerberg. We will discuss some global issues and issues relating to India, particularly on the economy and society,” the prime minister said. This is a Townhall you shouldn't miss," Modi said on his Facebook page. 

• On September 27, the PM will address the Indian diaspora in a Madison Square Garden-style planned event at the SAP Center Arena in San Jose. Organised by the Indian American community of the West Coast, more than 45,000 Indians are expected to show up for the community reception for the PM.

“The Indian diaspora has left no stone unturned in strengthening India-USA ties,” Modi’s post said. “We are very proud of the accomplishments of our diaspora that has made immense contributions to both our societies. I am sure my US visit will be fruitful and further deepen the bond between the world’s oldest and largest democracies.”
 

According to a WSJ report, the sell-out event will go on for more than two hours, and the entertainment will include Indian dancing performed by local artists. Performers will include a troupe from the Nrityodaya Kathak Academy of Los Angeles, the Mona Khan Company of northern California among others.

You can watch all about the PM's scheduled events in the US keep tracking the officialPMO India Youtube channel, Narendra Modi's Youtube channel.

For the Townhall event follow Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page as well as on Modi's Facebook page. And, on the community reception, keep checking the website by the Indo American Community of West Coast.