President @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS will travel to India from February 24-25 to visit Prime Minister @narendramodi… https://t.co/qJdvS9duwz — The White House (@WhiteHouse) 1581368732000

WASHINGTON: The White House on Monday formally announced that U.S President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump would visit India on February 24-25, with stops in New Delhi and Ahmedabad."The President and The First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modi’s home state of Gujarat and played such an important role in Mahatma Gandhi’s life and leadership of the Indian independence movement," a White House release said, adding that during a phone call over the weekend, Trump and Modi agreed the trip will "further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people."Separately, officials in New Delhi also revealed that it would be a “State visit” — which involves pomp and ceremony — at Prime Minister Modi’s invitation, and the President and the First Lady “will attend official engagements in New Delhi and Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and interact with a wide cross-section of Indian society.”This will be Trump's first visit to India as President and one of his rare solo bilateral visits with the First Lady. Neither side made any mention of a widely-anticipated stopover at Agra’s Taj Mahal, an enduring symbol of love and togetherness that has been so appealing to Trump in the past that he named one of properties (Trump Tajmahal in Atlantic City) after it.Both sides also appeared to have abjured a US Presidential address to the Indian Parliament, an item that was part of Democratic Presidential visits (Jimmy Carter 1978, Bill Clinton 2000, and Barack Obama 2010) but which George Bush skipped during his 2006 visit. Dwight Eisenhower was the last Republican President to address the Indian parliament in 1959.It was however confirmed that the President would visit Ahmedabad, where plans are afoot to host a rousing "Kem Cho, Trump! (Howdy Trump) rally to return the gesture of the Trump administration allowing the Howdy Modi fiesta in Houston — the largest rally ever by a foreign leader on US soil.The two leaders are expected to inaugurate the Motera Stadium, one of the world's largest sports arenas with a capacity of 110,000, although local reports suggest it will be a race against time to complete it by February 25.The most likely backdrop for a walkthrough and informal talks will be the Sabarmati waterfront, one of Modi's signature achievements in his home state.Besides the adrenalin of a India-sized rally that is expected to wow Trump, who loves large adoring crowds, the two sides are also expected to ink a trade deal and agreements aimed at boosting Indian purchase of US armaments, including a $2 billion value NASAMS air defense system and $2.6 billion naval helicopter deal.India is also ramping up energy purchase from the US that has gone from zero a decade ago to $6 billion annually, and is expected to touch $10 billion in the next couple of years.“The global strategic partnership between India and the US is based on trust, shared values, mutual respect and understanding, and marked by warmth and friendship between the peoples of the two countries. The relationship has further evolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, with significant progress in all areas including trade, defence, counter-terrorism, energy, coordination on regional and global issues as well as people-to-people ties. The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review progress in bilateral ties and further strengthen our strategic partnership,” a statement from the Indian Prime Minister’s office said.Read this story in Bengali