Over 200 persons left Melbourne on Sunday by a special chartered train for Sydney to attend visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the Allophones Arena at Olympic Park in Sydney on Monday.
Victoria's Multicultural Minister Matthew Guy flagged the train off from Melbourne's Southern Cross Station.
The train has been decorated with tri-colour balloons, and its passengers danced and sang patriotic songs before boarding the train on Sunday.
More than 16,000 members of the Indian Diaspora will pack the Allophones Arena at Olympic Park in Sydney to welcome Prime Minister Modi at a community reception.
Big screens have been installed outside the venue, and there is a festive atmosphere prevalent for people wanting to attend or watch the event.
Earlie in the day, Prime Minister Modi invited Australian businessmen to participate in India's ambitious plans for smart cities to cater its growing urban population.
Addressing the Queensland business community at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Premier of Queensland in Brisbane this morning, Mr. Modi said India had launched Make in India as a new mission to promote manufacturing in India. He said that it is expected that nearly eleven per cent of the world's urban population in 2025 will be in India.
The Prime Minister said Queensland can be an important partner in India's development in the area of energy, mineral resources, agriculture, education, skill development and food security.
He said, India wants an integrated partnership in joint research to improve yield and farm productivity. This will help develop agriculture supply, chain infrastructure and food processing.
Mr. Modi described the India-Australia relationship as being comprehensive and involving economic cooperation. He also said that it was a growing security and strategic partnership, and suggested that increasing cooperation in international forums is vital for peace, stability and prosperity.
In Sydney, people are very enthusiastic about Mr. Modi's visit.
The Prime Minister will reach Australian capital Canberra this evening, where he is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbot and address a joint session of the Australian Parliament on Tuesday.
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