U.S. President Donald Trump's India visit – which both sides have hailed as the union of the world's oldest democracy and the world's biggest democracy – is no less than any big fat Indian wedding.

Indian authorities are reportedly throwing a 13-million-U.S.-dollar bash for Trump's three-hour trip to Ahmedabad, Gujarat – the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sample this, a whopping 488,000 U.S. dollars are being spent just on flowers. The sum is equivalent to 1.5 percent of the annual budget of the state. The elaborate preparations have got the U.S. President excited, "He (Modi) told me we will have seven million people between airport and the event. So, it's going to be exciting," Trump said on Tuesday.

Trump will land in Ahmedabad for a two-day India visit on February 24; and to keep the runway clear of monkeys, a man wearing a bear costume would be deployed. From the airport, the visiting president will begin a 22-kilometer-long roadshow with PM Modi. 

The hosts do not want the U.S. leader to get a glimpse of India's poverty. So, a 400-meter-long and two-meter-high wall is being built along the road to hide a slum. According to reports, around 100,000 people and not seven million, are expected to turn up for the tailored-for-TV procession.

Trump will also be inaugurating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel cricket stadium in Motera near Ahmedabad, which knocks out the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the world's largest cricket stadium, with a capacity of 110,000 spectators. The event is being organized on the lines of September 2019 "Howdy Modi" gala in Houston, which was attended by 50,000 people, mostly from the Indian community in the U.S. It was the largest ever gathering with a foreign political leader in the United States.

During his India visit, Trump will also visit the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, situated on the banks of river Yamuna, one of the world's most polluted rivers. To avoid a stench, nearly 14,000 liters of clean water has been released in the river.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center, tweeted: "This is shaping up to be one of the most expensive charm offensives in recent history. And at a moment when India is experiencing its worst economic slowdown in four decades, to boot. When it comes to flattering Trump, you have to pull out all the stops."

Given the celebratory tone of the visit, sticking issues like the trade dispute are being brushed under the expensive red carpet, at least for now. 

Trump, who's known for not concealing his thoughts behind diplomatic language, on Tuesday set straight the record for the visit. "Well, we can have trade deal with India, but I am really saving the big deal for later on," he said, adding "We are not treated very well by India, but I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot."

Since he took office in 2016, Trump has targeted India over everything from tariffs on farm goods to Harley Davidson motorbikes, price caps on medical devices and new rules over local data storage.

The U.S., India's second-largest trade partner after China, removed it from its special low-tariff status list last year over claims of discrimination against American companies. India responded by slapping retaliatory tariffs over U.S. steel.

The bilateral trade of goods and services between U.S. and India reached a record 142.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 – the same year Trump called India "tariffs king." The U.S. had a trade deficit of over 23.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2019 with India. 

For weeks, negotiators on both sides had been working to hammer out a bilateral trade deal. The U.S. wants access to the Indian market for American makers of medical devices and dairy farmers in exchange of restoring India's privileges under its preferential tariff regime. Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, canceled a planned visit to India last week, hinting at a deadlock in talks.

Alice Wells, the U.S. government's top diplomat overseeing South Asia, said that if a "tiny phase 1 trade deal" cannot be put together, "it would be a big setback." Wells will not be traveling with Trump either.

But, the biggest takeaway for Trump could be a formal declaration of India's defense purchases worth 2.6 billion U.S. dollars.

With numerous picture-perfect moments in the offing, not many experts are predicting major surprises. But with a mic on the podium and rolling cameras, off-script "Trumpisms" cannot be ruled out.