Individual registration begin for Narendra Modi's Silicon Valley event

Washington, Aug 28: Individual registration to the Silicon Valley community reception for Prime Minister Narendra Modi have kicked off here, less than a month before his scheduled second visit to the US.

Through posts on social media and the website -- www.pmmodiinca.org -- the Indo-American Community of West Coast on Thursday said individuals have time till August 31 to register for the September 27 reception at the SAP Centre in San Jose, California.

This registration is preceded by registration for members of the 500 community organisations who all have joined hands to host the reception. Surprising even the organisers, more than 40,000 people signed up for the reception, surpassing the 30,000 registrations for the Madison Square Garden reception in New York last September.

Once the registration process ends on August 31, all the registrants would be put to a computerised draw of lots to ensure that the 18,000 audience at SAP Center has a fair representation of all Indian communities, organisations, age and gender groups.

Prime Minister Modi is to travel to the US late September to attend the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly. While no official announcement has been made yet, Modi is also expected to travel to San Francisco to address the Indian- American community in the Silicon Valley on September 27.

Given that only a maximum number of 18,000 people can be accommodated at the SAP Centre for the mega event, organisers said they are working on some other plans as well, which are still under planning stage.

This would be Modi's second address to the Indian-American community in the US. Last year when he made his first trip to the United States as the Prime Minister, he addressed some 20,000 Indian Americans at the prestigious Madison Square Garden in mid-town Manhattan.

PTI