Much was said during the build-up to the Prime Minister's US visit, mostly in the direction of cautioning the observer not to expect too much from it.

Modi and the US President have had quite a bit of previous contact with each other and they did not meet as strangers in Washington, though this meeting was of much greater import and significance than the previous more limited encounters.

The preliminary briefings by official and unofficial functionaries made it evident that no extensive agenda had been drawn up and no major deals were on the anvil; indeed, until virtually the last moment it was not even announced whether Modi would receive official hospitality at the White House or whether he would have to be content with a lesser degree of official welcome, so he flew in with quite a few management issues still in the balance.

Trump's White House seems to be no prisoner of protocol and retains flexibility in the manner of dealing with its guests from abroad.

Perhaps the touch of unpredictability here observed reflects the style and preferences of the host. In the event, however,  Modi was accorded all the signs and gestures reserved for honoured guests and there was no lack of appropriate protocol in the arrangements.

The way the visit was structured placed high premium on the development of personal rapport between the leaders as the proper measure of success. The large media group in attendance spent much effort in carefully evaluating the various personal gestures from either side as the measure of how events had proceeded, and they were not wrong in doing so in the relative absence of major bilateral decisions.

Not that anything could have gone seriously wrong, but there is always the risk in such personalized meetings that the final response may be no more than lukewarm.

However, the Modi-Trump encounter showed every sign of being a big success, from the warm words, the handshakes, and the hugs between two leaders who are seldom effusive, all giving a positive message to the world and the watchful media.

Trump's reference to his admiration for India which now had a friend in the White House, rounded out the meeting to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. Good understanding at the top was as much as could have been desired from the visit, and the purpose was handsomely attained.

Both leaders have been identified with some issues that have become central to their foreign policy aims and have called for international action to promote their concerns.

Even before the meeting there was plenty of common ground between India and the USA on the matter of terrorism and the leaders were able to join in unambiguous demands against terrorism. To India's satisfaction, on the eve of the visit the USA announced that it had finally placed the notorious terrorist Salahuddin on the prohibited list, something that India has been demanding for years.

This action was accompanied by strong statements of intent and willingness to work together to reinforce the message, so Modi has reason to be satisfied with what emerged on this important point from his Washington visit. Moreover, India and the USA came out together against Pakistan on this subject, which is another fresh and significant development.

Trump has made no secret of his belief that the USA has borne a disproportionate share of the burden of globalization, due to loss of jobs and unfavourable trading arrangements. While redressing the balance is one of his key objectives, this was not flagged as a prominent issue for the official India-US talks.

However, something significant seemed to have been taking place behind the scenes, for at the concluding media function Trump was able to announce, with considerable satisfaction, that India had agreed to buy as many as 100 civilian aircraft from the USA, which will get US production lines moving and create many jobs.

In agreeing to this arrangement Modi has gone some way to meeting President Trump's wishes and has added an important element to the economic relationship.

Over the last few years, the USA has worked hard to find a market in India for some of its military aircraft, and some highvalue transactions have been agreed between the two sides.

There was some expectation that the Modi visit could stimulate further developments, the more so as India appears to be contemplating a round of defence purchases.

This could become an important item in future exchanges though for the moment nothing concrete seems to be under consideration. It is also noteworthy that some of India's important concerns did not seem to have figured in the official discussions.

Prime among these is the matter of H1B visas that enable skilled Indian engineers and other highly trained personnel to work in the USA on limited assignments. In the currently harsher climate for foreign workers these visas are not as readily available as earlier they were, and this has become a grievance for Indian workers and companies.

Moreover, this hardening of policy is directly attributable to the US President. As a result, the NRI chorus that has become a feature of PM Modi's visits abroad was in some respects muted in Washington, but even so, the CEOs who assembled on the occasion and came out with upbeat assessments and projections of India's economic future, added a positive flavour.

What did not register to any great degree was the strategic convergence that was supposed to have been discussed between the two leaders.

There was a drawing together on matters like terrorism but that did not seem to have led to any further merging of view on broader issues of global management. Some observers are inclined to believe that India and the USA need to work more closely together in responding to international problems like those in India's neighbourhood, especially Afghanistan, and challenges in other parts of the region, like the South China Sea, among others.

There is nothing to suggest that such matters of strategic import were in fact considered at the meeting in Washington. Partly this may have to do with the rather restrictive format adopted ~ there was plenty of time for the talks but only limited time for interaction with the media.

Nevertheless, the visit seems to have achieved what it set out to do. The big attainment was to establish warmth and mutual confidence between the two principals.

This provides the basis for further meaningful contact and exchange between them. India-US relations are in good shape; the Modi visit should take them effectively forward.

The President's daughter is due to visit India later in the year, which will burnish the personalized touch adopted by rump in his dealings with India.

The writer is India's former Foreign Secretary.