Prime Minister Narendra Modi Receives Enthusiastic Welcome In Austria

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received an enthusiastic welcome in Austria on Wednesday as he embarked on a two-day visit, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in four decades. Austria extended a warm reception, symbolized by rolling out the red carpet.

Upon his arrival at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Vienna, PM Modi was greeted by members of the Indian diaspora. A notable highlight was a special performance of ‘Vande Mataram’ by Austrian artists.

"A glimpse of Austria's vibrant musical culture through this wonderful rendition of Vande Mataram," PM Modi tweeted, sharing a video of the performance.

The 50-member choir and orchestra, conducted by Vijay Upadhyay, the Indian director of the Department of Music at the University of Vienna, performed the piece. Upadhyay, who also founded the India National Youth Orchestra, shared that the preparations were intense, given the short notice of less than three weeks.

"We chose to perform Vande Mataram. I wrote the score in two days, and rehearsals began soon after," Upadhyay explained. He aimed to preserve the essence of ‘Vande Mataram’ while blending it with an Austrian-European symphonic style.

After the performance, Upadhyay met with PM Modi, finding him energetic despite a busy two-day visit to Russia filled with continuous engagements.

Reflecting on their conversation, Upadhyay mentioned, "I told him I'm from Lucknow, and he responded that he's also from Uttar Pradesh."

PM Modi's historic visit to Austria aims to strengthen bilateral relations and address various geopolitical challenges. He will meet with President Alexander Van der Bellen and hold discussions with Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Additionally, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor will address business leaders from India and Austria.

In a pre-visit statement, PM Modi emphasized that shared values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law lay the foundation for a closer partnership between India and Austria.