Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the JFK Airport on Tuesday for a state visit to the US that he said will "reinforce our ties".
Before leaving for the US, Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi said, "I am confident that my visit to the US will reinforce our ties based on shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom. Together we stand stronger in meeting the shared global challenges."
International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations on Wednesday will be the highlight of his brief stay in the city.
UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi and Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed will join him at the yoga event along with hundreds of diplomats from around the world and UN officials.
Afterwards, he will leave for Washington where a private meeting is scheduled with President Joe Biden ahead of the next day's ceremonial start to the state visit at the White House with a 21-gun salute.
He is scheduled to speak to a joint session of Congress and be honoured at a State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden.
In the city on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet thought leaders and business magnates.
The list includes Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter and the founder of Tesla; Nobel Prize winners molecular biologist Peter Agre and economist Paul Romer; astrophysicist Neal deGrasse Tyson; author and theorist Nicholas Nassim Taleb; investor Ray Dialo, and Chandrika Tandon, a patron of the arts and education and the sister of former Pepsi Chair Indra Nooyi.
He is also to meet Grammy award winner Falguni Shah, the singer better known as Falu Shah.
In his statement previewing the visit, Prime Minister Modi said, "India-US ties are multifaceted, with deepening engagements across sectors."
The US is India's largest trading partner and the two countries collaborate closely in science and technology, education, health, defence and security fields, space and artificial intelligence, he said.
"Our two countries are also collaborating to further our shared vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," he added.
He said, "My discussions with President Biden and other senior US leaders will provide an opportunity to consolidate our bilateral cooperation as well as in plurilateral forums such as G20 (group of industrialised and emerging economies), Quad (the Indo-Pacific-oriented group of India, the US, Japan and Australia) and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Forum)."
Drugs valued at Rs 105 crore seized in Assam; 3 arrested
The Assam Police have seized drugs valued at Rs 105 crore along the inter-state border with Mizoram in Cachar district, an official said on Sunday, adding three persons were also arrested in this connection.
Human trafficking suspect wanted by NIA arrested in Tripura
The Tripura Police on Sunday arrested a human trafficking suspect who was on the 'wanted list' of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), an official said.
PM Modi 'deeply concerned' at Iran President's helicopter incidentv
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his "deep concern" at Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter going missing after making a "hard landing" and prayed for his well-being.
PM Modi says 'this is Bharat's moment'; urges youth to 'dream big'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outlining the importance of ‘thinking big and thinking ahead of time’, on Sunday said that this is Bharat’s moment and we must not lose it.
Indian stock markets will break all records on June 4: PM Modi
Once the Lok Sabha election results are declared on June 4, the Indian stock markets will break all previous records, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
AAP on streets to save accused, says Swati Maliwal
AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal on Sunday while reflecting on the past 12 years since the horrific Nirbhaya case, said that 'they are now out on the streets to save the accused who made the CCTV footage disappear and formatted the phone'.
Captain Gopichand, five others set to fly to edge of space aboard Blue Origin mission
Captain Gopichand Thotakura, along with five others, is set to fly to the edge of space on Blue Origin's crewed flight mission on Sunday evening.
Air India Express flight's engine catches fire, makes emergency landing
The Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Kochi had to make a full-scale emergency landing at Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) due to a fire in one of its engines.