PM's visit to lay new benchmarks in engagements with US: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States is aimed at getting more foreign direct investment and making the 'Make in India' program a huge success, adding that it expects the visit to lay new benchmarks in engagements with the United States.

"Prime Minister Modi will be arriving later this evening and he has a very substantive program for the two days that he is here. Thereafter, he travels to San Jose in California to meet with the different set of people in that part of the world. In New York, he is going to meet a number of people connected with the financial sector, with the media and technology sector and, most importantly, with the manufacturing sector because one of the primary objectives of the Prime Minister's visit to America is to get more foreign direct investment and make the 'Make in India' program a huge success," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup told ANI.

"American collaboration with that program in terms of skills, in terms of technology and in terms of investment, is very crucial and I expect the Prime Minister's visit to lay new benchmarks in engagements with the United States," he added.

"A number of bilateral are going to happen because the Prime Minister will be in New York when a number of world leaders are also going to be in New York," he further said.

Prime Minister Modi will address founders of startups, entrepreneurs and technology leaders in the Silicon Valley on September 27.

Earlier this morning, the Prime Minister left for his week-long official visit to Ireland and United States.

"Leaving for Ireland, where I will hold delegation level talks with Mr. Enda Kenny, Taoiseach of Ireland and interact with Indian community. After Ireland, will travel to New York City," the Prime Minister tweeted before his departure.

He will meet President Obama on September 28 ahead of the UN General Assembly.