Who is a better negotiator, me or Donald Trump, Modi reveals the secret

Houston/New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised US President Donald Trump for showing him a thing or two about the "art" of negotiation.

While addressing a 50,000 crowd at the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ in Houston, PM Modi said he would be speaking with the US President on several bilateral issues and that's where negotiation skills would come in handy.

"In the days to come, I will be speaking with President Trump. He often calls me a top negotiator, but he himself knows the art of the deal and I am learning from him," Modi said.

In his first address, PM Modi allocated almost the entire speech to thanking the US President for taking bilateral ties to "new heights".

Hectic negotiations on energy trade are going on between India and the US, news agency Reuters reported. The deal under discussion with India would lower some tariffs on US produce and restore preferential treatment for some Indian exports to the US.

India - the sixth-largest buyer of US liquefied natural gas - is open to making purchases. In return, India wants the preferential trade status - withdrawn earlier this year - restored for a few more years.

The 'Howdy, Modi!' event gave PM Modi a chance to energise his relationship with Indian-Americans who are active political supporters.

Houston is a rare Democratic stronghold in Republican-dominated Texas and serves as the economic anchor of a state that will be critical to President Trump's 2020 re-election bid.