The rock-star reception at New York's Madison Square Garden resembled a victory lap for a leader who had been denied entry into the US for almost a decade.

Axar.az reports citing BBC that this Sunday, the Indian leader will address a far bigger crowd of supporters at an event in Houston, Texas, and standing next to him will be the president of the United States - a visual that many believe will help Mr. Modi shrug off some of the international criticism over his controversial move on Kashmir.

The event, aptly titled "Howdy, Modi!", is expected to attract a crowd of more than 50,000, the largest gathering of Modi supporters outside India, at the NRG Stadium.

The first-of-its-kind joint appearance is being hailed as a PR triumph for Mr. Modi, but it also testifies to the growing importance of US-India relations.

"I think this was in some ways inevitable and reflects the strength of the Indian-American community," says Nisha Biswal, former Assistant Secretary of State in the Obama administration.