"Modi! Modi! Modi…!" came the resounding chant from 5,500 Indians living in China who had come to Shanghai on Saturday afternoon to welcome India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during his much-heralded visit to the municipality. It was the largest-ever gathering of Indians in Shanghai.

"India has the first Prime Minister who is so strong and dedicated to developing the country, and developing people's standard of living," said Nirmalkumar Dhusia, director of an exports company in Hong Kong, who arrived in Shanghai with four of his friends at 4 am Saturday especially for the occasion.

Despite being weary from their long journey, the five euphoric friends chose to stand up at the front of the event, held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in Pudong New Area, so that they could hail their revered leader.

Most other Indians in the audience shared this enthusiasm, waving the tricolor saffron-white-green national flag of India or holding portraits of their PM above their heads while constantly bursting into cheers and chants.

Prior to Modi's arrival, a traditional Hindi folk music quintet took the stage to preoccupy the patiently waiting multitudes. Elsewhere in the auditorium, a Chinese sand artist made a drawing of Modi to the delight of the audience, 1,900 of them Indian students in China.

The Prime Minister finally gave a 50-minute speech in Hindi, recalling the progress of the past year and promising to continue his efforts in fulfilling his plans for the country that he made after being voted into power last year.

During his speech, which more resembled a rock concert than political event, Modi addressed the warming Sino-India relationship as an indication of the two nations' intended cooperation for the future.

"The most impressive part of his speech for me was about the friendship of our countries, and that India and China will become the two most important powers in the world," said Mohammed Farhan, a 20-year-old Indian student at Ningbo University in Zhejiang Province.

"It's a great occasion for India and China to do something better for both countries, so we're looking forward to more development and more opportunities," Jyoti Paryani, an Indian national who has lived in China for more than 15 years, told the Global Times.

Modi's visit to Shanghai was part of a three-day visit to China, including stops at Xi'an, where he held high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and then Beijing, where the prime minister took a "selfie" with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the touristy Temple of Heaven.

While in Beijing, Modi announced the inclusion of Chinese to India's new electronic tourist visa program, which will allow travelers from China to apply online instead of visiting the Indian embassy in Beijing or consulates.

Saturday morning in Shanghai, prior to the packed public event, Modi attended the India-China Business Forum held downtown, which witnessed China's top CEOs, including Jack Ma Yun of Alibaba and Wang Jianlin of Wanda Group, signing more than 20 trade and tourism agreements with India for investments worth $22 billion.

The historic pact was followed by a ceremony to inaugurate the new Center for Gandhian & Indian Studies at Shanghai's Fudan University. It is the first time an institute dedicated to the studies of the spiritual and socio-economic principles expounded by Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi has been established in China.

"India and China should together touch new heights of progress involving sensitivity towards humanity and philosophy of Lord Buddha and experiments of Mahatma Gandhi so that we can give to the world a system, which is dedicated to welfare of humanity," said Modi on the campus.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses to 5,500 Indians in Shanghai Saturday.

 

A drawing of Modi by a Chinese sand artist

 

A member of the traditional Hindi folk music quintet performs before Modi arrives.

 

Nirmalkumar Dhusia (fourth from left) and his friends wait for Modi.

Photos: Sun Shuangjie/GT