Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to leave for the United Kingdom on Wednesday, his first visit to the country after coming to power.
This will also be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister after nine years, the last being that of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 2006 visit.
Modi's official three-day trip will begin on Thursday, when he will meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street and at the latter's residence at Chequers. He will also address the UK parliament, the first for an Indian Prime Minister.
His visit will include a lunch with Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace and an address to nearly 60,000 Indians at the Wembley Stadium in London on Friday.
The reception is touted to be the biggest for any foreign leader in Britain and is fitting given that the Indian diaspora in the UK is the second largest in the world.
Modi to seek UK investments
While these events will be the highlights of the PM's meeting, the main agenda for the trip is economic, with India seeking foreign direct investments from the UK.
"My visit is aimed at strengthening cooperation with a traditional friend that is not only a major economic partner of India but also one of the leading economic players of the world," Modi said in his official statement.
"I see immense scope for our economic and trade relations to improve and this will benefit both our economies," he added.
Modi will also interact with top CEOs at a roundtable in London. Several business agreements are expected to be announced.
"My message to the business community is clear – come, make use of the opportunities India is offering and invest in India," Modi said.
Just ahead of his trip, the Modi government brought in FDI reforms on Tuesday in 15 sectors, including defence.
Defence agreements on the table
The Indian PM said that defence manufacturing would be the prime focus of his talks with Cameron. An agreement on Britain's BAE Systems selling 20 more Hawk trainer jets to India is likely to be signed.
"We expect a statement on defence and security partnership as well as on development partnership," the ministry of external affairs said ahead of the visit.
Tribute to Gandhi, Ambedkar, Basaveshwara
Modi's UK itinerary also includes a visit to the house, where Dr BR Ambedkar lived in London, and he will also pay homage to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi that was inaugurated last year.
On the final day of his UK trip, Modi will unveil the statue of 12th-century Indian philosopher Basaveshwara on the banks of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth.
The Indian Prime Minister will also visit the Jaguar Land Rover factory, now owned by India's Tata Motors, considered the flagship Indian investment in the UK.
Modi will travel to Turkey after his UK visit for a G20 summit.
Where to Watch LIVE:
You can follow PM Modi's UK visit live through the official Youtube channels of the Minsitry of External Affairs, of the Prime Minsiter's Office, or on the personal channel of Narendra Modi.
You can also get live updates on Twitter from the account of MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup, while PM Modi is himself known to use social media to put up updates on his trips.
