is also expected to participate in the event.

Americans of Gujarati origin are likely to join the Howdy Trump show, the first person said, adding that the event is being seen by the US President’s handlers as a good walk-up to this year’s US elections, especially given the number of Gujaratis in the US. The Indian diaspora is an important vote bloc, especially in the US and the UK. In the latter, for instance, they played a significant role with the vote almost shifting en masse from Labour to Conservatives.

Trump and Modi are expected to sign a short-term trade deal that could grant the US companies more access to Indian markets and restore to India trade benefits withdrawn last summer. They will also discuss a longer-term trade pact thattrade system. The US President has also routinely railed against India’s tariffs, termed it “tariff king”, and his administration has put together a thick book of grievances against India on trade — high tariffs (Harley Davidsons, for example, the president would mention frequently), trade imbalance, lack of market access, and other such.

Still, the two countries have made progress, the second person said. “Our first priority is restoration of GSP and the remaining issues will be worked out later.”

As a welcome gift to Trump, New Delhi is expected to approve the purchase of another six Apache attack helicopters from Boeing. Indeed, on the defence front, ties between the two countries have warmed. The United States renamed its Pacific military command as the Indo-Pacific Command in a nod to the