The razzmatazz of the"Namaste Trump" event was recompense for a"Howdy Modi" extravaganza in Houston last year when the two leaders held hands and Mr Trump compared Mr Modi to Elvis Presley.
"It's a timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture! Thank you India," Mr Trump gushed in the guest book.But behind the bonhomie and photo opportunities, a comprehensive trade deal between the world's biggest economy and the country projected soon to be its most populous looks remote.
Mr Trump has called India the"tariff king", and said before his visit that Asia's third-largest economy had been"hitting us very, very hard for many, many years". India may also agree to buy five nuclear reactors, the fruit of a landmark but contentious atomic deal signed in the 2000s.India may also bristle if Mr Trump repeats his offer of mediation in the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan, or hits out at a new citizenship law that critics call anti-Muslim.