NEW DELHI, Nov. 22 -- American President Barack Obama will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in January next year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced.

"This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over ... invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest," Modi tweeted late Friday evening.

Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Modi had personally invited President Obama during one of his conversations, after returning from the United States in September.

"This is also another first, President Obama will be the first U.S. President to visit India a second time in his term of office, " he told the media in the national capital, soon after Modi's announcement.

Indian media have hailed the move to invite President Obama to be the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations on January 26 as a major diplomatic victory for the prime minister.

Some local TV channels reported, quoting sources, that very few people in the Indian government were aware of the invitation and even U.S. embassy officials heard about the invitation from Twitter.

President Obama, who will be the first American leader to be chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations, recently described Modi as "a man of action."