India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi did what no other world leader managed to do with U.S. President Barack Obama - give him not just a handshake, but a forceful bear-hug.

Modi broke with protocol, a sign of his mission to step up relations with the U.S., when he met Obama and gave him a bear-hug as he touched down in India's capital, New Delhi, on Sunday. It is worth noting that barely a year ago before he became prime minister, Modi was denied entry to the United States over his handling of riots in his home state of Gujarat.

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Another sign of warming relations is that Obama will be the first sitting U.S. president to take part in India's Republic Day parade Monday, a yearly parade of military power that show anti-American sentiment during the Cold War.

After sharing a traditional kebab lunch of spices, lotus stem and figs, the two leaders buckled down to work.

Obama and Modi wrapped up Sunday's meeting with an agreement that could be worth billions of dollars in deals on nuclear supplies. They resolved issues on two concerns that, despite a landmark 2006 treaty, had prevented American contractors from building nuclear facilities in India.

The new agreement fixed issues over the liability of U.S. suppliers in case of a nuclear fallout and Washington's condition to track supplied nuclear material, said Richard Verma, the U.S. envoy to India.

The two leaders also agreed to defense deals that included cooperating in the production of equipment and flying drones for Lockheed Martin's C-130 military cargo plane.

They also agreed to several financing deals to help India raise renewable energy use. But Modi was quick to say that a lot of work was necessary to build a long-lasting partnership between the two biggest countries with an elected government in the world.

TagsBarack Obama, bear-hug, nuclear deal, U.S.-India