The ‘Howdy Modi’ mega event in Houston is the culmination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to cultivate the Indian diaspora. Modi has been wooing the diaspora all over the world and more so in the US. As the Indian-Americans have become more powerful, it is only natural for the prime minister to make use of them and market himself and India.

Modi had sounded Trump during his meeting with the latter on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Paris last month. The President, obviously weighing the pros and the cons, decided to participate in the mega event, which may provide political benefits to him personally in next year’s race for the US President’s post besides keeping the Indian Diaspora in good humour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed close to 50,000 Indian-Americans at the Howdy, Modi! event in Houston, Texas. US President Donald Trump also addressed the Indian diaspora. The “Howdy, Modi!” event on Sunday at the sprawling NRG Football Stadium in Houston was the largest gathering ever for an elected foreign leader visiting the United States. During the address, a large round of applause broke out at the event when PM Modi said, “Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar.” PM Modi also spoke about the relationship between the US and India and Article 370. Stay tuned for LIVE updates.

What Indian Leaders Said:

The ‘Howdy, Modi’ event in Huston (USA) today has reignited shared Indian-American dreams and their bright futures. The oldest and largest democracies joined hands today giving us hope and a promising future. It was history in the making, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.

“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has once again shown his ability to make a mark at the global stage with his leadership and statesmanship. Today’s event at Huston was the reaffirmation of his charisma, his appeal and the impact he has around the world,” he said.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Very proud of our Prime Minister who spoke like a statesman, a truly powerful global leader from India who is not only transforming India but also shaping the course of global economic growth. Greetings and profound respect to our Prime Minister.”

“It was so inspirational to hear PM Narendra Modi outlining India’s great transformative journey. It was equally inspirational to hear US President Donald Trump eloquently appreciating PM Modi’s leadership & record of governance and deciding to sit through his entire speech,” he said.

Both Modi and Trump are in a win- win situation as ‘Howdy Modi’ will benefit both politically. For Prime Minister Modi, it is the biggest moment to share the dais with the world’s most powerful leader. It will boost his domestic and international prestige and give him some relief on the Kashmir issue, which will be raised by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the UN General Assembly meeting later this month.

The Much Awaited Trade Deal:

The United States and India are racing to negotiate a limited trade deal that US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi can sign at the United Nations General Assembly in New York at the end of September, people familiar with the talks said.

A deal between the world’s most populous democracies would be a welcome victory for Trump, whose administration has made little headway negotiating an end to its prolonged trade war with China. Trump is also expected to sign a deal with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next week that lowers Japanese farm tariffs.

The deal under discussion with India would lower some tariffs on US produce and restore preferential treatment for some Indian exports to the United States, the sources said.