Narendra Modi embarks on US visit on Thursday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-day high profile visit from Thursday to the US during which he will have a power-packed schedule of meetings - official, business and public - apart from addressing the UN General Assembly on September 27 and bilateral talks with President Barack Obama. Expecting a "substantive" outcome, India said, "We see Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to New York and Washington as a signal of India's abiding commitment to multilateralism and of a desire to build on a growing convergences in Indo-US ties in the areas where we can work together and in areas where we can do more for each other." Modi would also be holding three bilateral meetings with neighbours -Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. There are no plans to meet Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

The Indian side has also indicated Modi's "dietary preferences" given that the Prime Minister would be observing the nine-day Navratri fast during his trip. Modi will hold talks with over 15 top American corporate honchos, including top executives of Google, Boeing and General Electric, as India looks to attract more overseas investments. Apart from meeting 11 top corporate honchos over breakfast on September 29, the Prime Minister will have one- on-one meetings with six more business captains same day in New York.