Hundreds of Indians living in China gathered at Shanghai's World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center to hear a town hall-style speech by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 16. The event was held at the end of Modi's first visit to China since he took office last May.

For some Indians, especially those who have lived away from their home country for long, a part of the excitement is around Modi's life story: A tea seller's son who rose to become India's top leader. To others, it's his pro-reform image that they hope will get foreign investments to India.

As crowds awaited his arrival inside a large hall, where Bollywood tunes played on speakers, they stood next to their rows of seats to catch a glimpse of Modi when he would walk in. A troupe of folk musicians from western India's Rajasthan province entertained guests with their full-throated songs, some on demand from the audience.