Indian PM Modi flies to US on landmark visit

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for the US on Tuesday on a landmark state visit - the highest diplomatic reception reserved for closest allies.

Modi is expected to meet a number of influential figures during his visit at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, reports Hindustan Times.

In the first three days of his visit, Modi will address the joint session of the US Congress, hold meetings with business leaders and Indian expats, and join in on a state dinner at the White House, according to NDTV.

Notably, Modi will meet Tesla's billionaire CEO Elon Musk, as well as American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and senior World Bank official Paul Romer. His meetings will also include Nobel laureates, economists, artists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academicians, and health sector experts.

An unprecedented deal on jet engine technology transfer is also expected during the visit, NDTV reports.

Modi is the third Indian leader to make a state visit to the US. The other two were by former president Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan in June 1963 and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009.

/KN/