Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday started a visit to the United States, which is rolling out the red carpet after shunning him for a decade, but a lawsuit revived past grievances.
Modi -- who was refused a visa in 2005 over Gujarat riots when he was the Chief Minister of the state -- pressed his hands together in a traditional namaste greeting on arrival in New York, where he will address the UN General Assembly on Saturday before heading to Washington.
Modi was welcome by the Indian American community whose members chanted "Modi, Modi", holding placards to greet him at the hotel where is staying.
Modi will meet business leaders and on Sunday achieve the feat of a rock star by addressing the 18,200-capacity Madison Square Garden sports arena in a massive reception organized by Indian American activists, who have long campaigned to rehabilitate his image.
Modi, who earlier this year led his Bharatiya Janata Party to biggest electoral mandate in three decades, has shown no signs of bitterness over his past treatment by the United States and has called for the world's two largest democracies to work closely together.
"India and the US have a fundamental stake in each other's success -- for the sake of our values and our many shared interests," Modi wrote on Friday in The Wall Street Journal.
"The complementary strengths of India and the US can be used for inclusive and broad-based global development to transform lives across the world," he wrote, also calling for greater security cooperation in Asia.
The United States has been racing in recent months to make up for lost time with Modi and to undo the damage from the diplomat's arrest.
The US ambassador met with Modi during the election as it became clear his party would triumph. Since Modi took office, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel have both travelled to New Delhi.
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