The prime minister will be hosted by the US President on Thursday in what would be the first bilateral talks between the two leaders after Trump assumed the presidency for a second term last month

"Landed in Washington DC a short while ago. Looking forward to meeting @POTUS Donald Trump and building upon the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Our nations will keep working closely for the benefit of our people and for a better future for our planet. @realDonaldTrump," PM Modi posted on X along with pictures

PM Modi will be staying at the Blair House, the US presidential guest house at the heart of the American capital city

As Prime Minister Modi reached Blair House, the President's Guest House, he was accorded a rousing welcome by members of the Indian-American diaspora

Braving freezing temperatures and rain, the community members gathered at Blair House and welcomed him with slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', 'Vande Mataram' and 'Modi Modi' as they waved the Indian and American flags

"A warm reception in the winter chill! Despite the cold weather, the Indian diaspora in Washington DC has welcomed me with a very special welcome. My gratitude to them," PM Modi said on X

With Trump's tariff policy sending shockwave across the world, Modi's key priority is likely to be to pre-empt any punitive trade action by Washington against India

People closely tracking India-US ties said there is a possibility of both sides exploring the option of looking at a trade pact to avoid high tariffs and expand the overall trade basket

In their meeting, the two leaders are likely to broadly focus on ramping up India-US cooperation in sectors like trade, investment, energy, defence, technology and immigration