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PM Modi’s US visit ends: Here are some highlights

Prime minister modi wrapped up his three-day state visit to the united states with an address to the indian community members..

modi last visit to usa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his state visit to the United States on Friday. The three-day state visit,  his first in nine years,  included at least three meetings with President Joe Biden, an address to members of the US Congress, and interactions with some of Silicon Valley’s top CEOs.

“Concluding a very special USA visit, where I got to take part in numerous programmes and interactions aimed at adding momentum to the India-USA friendship. Our nations will keep working together to make our planet a better place for the coming generations,” PM Modi tweeted, ahead of his departure. He is now headed to Egypt for another state visit.

modi last visit to usa

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Here’s a round-up of the significant events from PM Modi’s official three-day State visit to the US as a representative of the Republic of India:

PM Modi delivers goodbye speech to Indian-American diaspora

“‘Together India and US are not just forming policies and agreements, we are shaping lives, dreams and destinies," said PM Narendra Modi addressing the Indian-American community at the end of his three-day state visit to the US.

“The partnership between India and the United States will make the world better in the 21st Century. You all play a crucial role in this partnership,” he added while speaking at Ronald Reagan Center, Washington on Friday.

At the heart of the Indo-US strategic partnership is deepening economic engagement and resolve on both sides to elevate the bilateral relationship to a “global strategic partnership”. Concluding the hour-long address amid cheers and chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai, the PM said, “I can sense a mini-India converging here. I thank you all for coming here. I have received unprecedented love and affection during my stay in the US.”

A joint statement is issued by India and the United States

India and the US have agreed on a broad sweep in ties , declaring that “no corner of human enterprise is untouched by the partnership between our two great countries, which spans the seas to the stars”. A 58-paragraph joint statement was issued after the bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Joe Biden. The statement called on Pakistan to take action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks. However, there was  no mention of Russia or the US formulation on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A celebrity-studded state dinner in honour of PM Modi is organised

“Two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers. Cheers,” US President Biden told PM Modi in a toast at the state dinner Thursday hosted by US President at White House. Both the leaders expressed that the occasion celebrates great bonds of friendship between India and the United States. They hailed a new era in their nation’s relationship and spoke about deals on defence and commerce, which are aimed at countering China’s influence.

Big names in the tech world and billionaire industrialists such as Mukesh Ambani, Google CEO Sunder Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook were among those invited to the State Dinner hosted in the honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday.

PM Modi addresses the US Congress, becoming the first Indian prime minister to do so twice

In an almost one hour speech to the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon a variety of themes ranging from the Ukraine war to terrorism to women's empowerment to environment concerns. They were met with applause and standing ovation several times by the US Congress members, including Vice President Kamala Harris.  “When India grows, it influences and uplifts everyone,” he told the American parliament.

The speech this time was longer in duration than last time, which was about 45 minutes in 2016.

Modi-Biden hold joint press conference at the White House

At a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House, PM Modi declares that the partnership between India and the US knows no bounds. At the press conference where the leaders took questions from one reporter from each side, Biden by his side, PM Modi said   Thursday that “democracy is in our DNA”, and “there is absolutely no question of discrimination” regardless of “caste, creed, religion and gender”. He was responding to a journalist’s question about what steps his government is willing to take to improve the rights of minorities in India and to uphold free speech.

Bilateral meeting takes place at the White House

The bilateral meeting between PM Modi and US President Joe Biden took place at the White House ahead of the former's address at the US Congress. White House officials previewed the possible outcomes of the official meet : a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 “Reaper” armed drones by India, a joint mission by the NASA and ISRO to the International Space Station in 2024 and New Delhi joining the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration.

Biden by his side in the East Room of the White House, Modi, too, headlined the strategic outcomes in his statement after the bilateral meeting between the two sides.

PM Modi presents an array of special gifts to President Biden and US First Lady

PM Modi presented an array of special gifts to US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden when they hosted him for a private dinner at the White House on Tuesday. The gifts included a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond and a handcrafted sandalwood box. Biden was also presented with the first edition print of the book  The Ten Principal Upanishads  from 1937.

A warm welcome for PM Modi at the White House

PM Narendra Modi received a warm welcome Thursday by United States president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, as he arrived at White House to attend bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden, attend a State dinner and address the US Congress. His state visit to the US as a representative of the Republic of India set against the backdrop of a rapidly transforming world order, where India needs to keep both its strategic independence and geopolitical balance.

PM Modi leads International Yoga Day celebrations at UN headquarters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led yoga session at United Nations headquarters, on the occasion of 9th International Yoga Day , created Guinness World Record for participation of people of most nationalities , according to officials.

PM Modi arrives in New York, meets Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday arrived in New York on the first leg of his maiden state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden. H e met several business and thought leaders like Tesla CEO Elon Musk , Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. He also met with experts in healthcare, tech and education sectors and discussed the National Education policy, tuberculosis elimination efforts and policymaking, among other topics.

PM Modi leaves for US

PM Modi landed in New York late Tuesday evening, marking the beginning of his first State visit to the US, which he said “will reinforce ties based on shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom" with new milestones in the India-US relationship in Washington.

His packed state visit to the US from June 21 to June 23 upon the invitation of US President Joe Biden notably included International Yoga Day celebrations, a state dinner, bilateral meetings with  Biden, a US Congress address and a speech to the Indian-American diaspora.

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What to Know About Modi’s Visit and U.S.-India Relations

The visit has big implications for U.S.-India relations as President Biden seeks to shore up an alliance against Russia’s aggression and China’s economic influence.

modi last visit to usa

By Victoria Kim

Follow live updates as President Biden hosts Prime Minister Narendra Modi for meetings and a state dinner.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will receive a lavish welcome on Thursday in Washington, where he will address a joint session of Congress and be feted by President Biden and the first lady in a state dinner at the White House — only the third state leader to be hosted by the current administration.

Swirling around the pageantry of a momentous visit for U.S.-India relations, seen as an affirmation of India’s rise as an economic and diplomatic power, will be weighty questions of geopolitical alignments with regard to China’s economic influence and Russia’s military aggression, as well as the erosion of India’s secular democracy under Mr. Modi. How much if any of that will be publicly addressed by the two leaders is unclear.

The visit is a significant diplomatic prize for Mr. Modi , who was once denied a visa to the United States for his role in religious riots in his home state, and as prime minister has increasingly consolidated power and edged his country closer to one-party rule.

Still, the Biden administration has painstakingly sought to draw India closer, economically and militarily, at the cost of muddling his oft-stated worldview of a pitched battle between autocracies and democracies .

Here is what to know about Mr. Modi’s state visit.

The U.S. is trying to draw India closer.

Announcing Mr. Modi’s state visit, the White House press secretary said the occasion would celebrate “the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together.” Like his predecessors, Mr. Biden has leaned into the hope that India, the world’s most populous democracy and the fifth-largest economy, will serve as a counterweight to China’s growing global economic heft. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen last year visited India as part of the administration’s push to shift global supply chains away from its political and economic adversaries.

“New Delhi has a pivotal role to play in checkmating China — if politically nudged, militarily helped and geopolitically encouraged by the U.S. and its allies,” said Happymon Jacob, who teaches Indian foreign policy at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

The urgency for improved relations has intensified with Russia’s war on Ukraine, a geopolitical crisis that has placed India at the center of jostling between the United States and its allies and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. India, while fostering closer ties with the United States, has maintained military and economic relations with Russia, buying up Russian oil at a discount and staying away from backing United Nations resolutions that have condemned Russia’s aggression.

Defense cooperation is high on the agenda.

The United States wants to help India bolster its domestic defense industry and increase military cooperation between the two countries in an attempt to wean India off its long dependence on Russia for its weaponry. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, each traveled to New Delhi this month ahead of the state visit to lay the groundwork for closer defense partnerships.

A substantial majority of India’s arsenal is estimated to be of Russian origin , the result of a decades-long defense relationship between the two countries at a time when the United States was instead supplying weapons to India’s rival, Pakistan. While the proportion of Russian arms in India’s defense imports has decreased in recent years, the country still remains dependent on Russia for parts and maintenance.

Highlighting increased technological cooperation, military coordination and intelligence sharing between the two countries, Mr. Austin said during his New Delhi visit: “This all matters because we face a rapidly changing world. We see bullying and coercion from the People’s Republic of China, Russian aggression against Ukraine that seeks to redraw borders by force and threatens national sovereignty.”

Modi is accused of undermining democracy.

In hosting Mr. Modi, Mr. Biden will be standing shoulder to shoulder with a leader who is immensely popular in his country but has sidelined challengers , co-opted judicial systems and consolidated power to a degree that has concerned observers and critics about the democratic erosion in the nation that recently surpassed China to become the world’s most populous.

This week, more than 70 Democratic lawmakers urged the president in a letter to raise upholding democratic values and human rights with the Indian prime minister, citing “troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access.”

Mr. Modi’s India has become particularly perilous for the nation’s more than 200 million religious minorities, as his right-wing vigilante supporters have fomented religious tensions with the aim of imposing Hindu supremacy on India’s constitutionally secular democracy. That’s led to a perpetual sense of combustibility on the ground, particularly for India’s Muslims.

In March, Rahul Gandhi, India’s best-known opposition leader and Mr. Modi’s chief rival, was convicted on a charge of defamation and sentenced to two years in prison. He filed an appeal and remains free, but the conviction allowed Mr. Modi’s allies to oust him from the country’s Parliament.

Mujib Mashal contributed reporting.

Victoria Kim is a correspondent based in Seoul, focused on international breaking news coverage. More about Victoria Kim

Two men, US President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing with the arms stretched outward to wave

What to expect from Modi’s historic visit to the US

Modi will hold bilateral talks with Biden and address a joint session of Congress, followed by a lavish dinner reception at the White House. The US and India have long enjoyed warm relations, but this visit is particularly momentous.   

  • By Sushmita Pathak

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden wave from the Blue Room Balcony during a State Arrival Ceremony at the White House in Washington, June 22, 2023. 

Andrew Harnik/AP

The lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York were dotted with yellow yoga mats as hundreds of people gathered on Wednesday morning to stretch together. Among them was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — leading International Yoga Day celebrations as part of his three-day trip to the United States. 

The Indian leader has visited the US several times since taking office in 2014. But this trip is a rare state visit — the highest diplomatic honor for a foreign leader. President Joe Biden has only invited two other leaders — French and South Korean — for such visits, and Modi is only the third Indian leader to receive such an invitation.

On Thursday, Modi will hold bilateral talks with Biden and address a joint session of Congress, followed by a lavish dinner reception at the White House. The US and India have long enjoyed warm relations, but this visit is particularly momentous.   

“Every once a decade or thereabouts, you have a visit that really moves the ball forward,” said Richard Rossow, chair of the US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “And it feels like both governments are talking about this visit as kind of along those lines.”

Despite Delhi and Washington not seeing eye to eye on some key issues, the Biden administration has bestowed Modi with the honor, even as human rights groups raise concerns about Modi’s allegedly anti-Muslim policies back home.

In India, Modi supporters see the visit as a moment of pride. One pro-government news channel used the hashtag #ModiMagicInAmerica with its anchor Arnab Goswami saying that the US had more at stake than India. 

A crowd of people looking onward

Guests wait for President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden to welcome India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington.

Evan Vucci/AP

“It is just one more telling statement, ladies and gentlemen, of how India’s place in the world has risen in the Modi years,” Goswami declared during his news segment. 

The US and India have had strong people-to-people ties for years, with a large and influential Indian-American diaspora. Trade between the two countries has also been flourishing for decades. But Modi’s visit this week could see the two nations join hands to strengthen another pillar of their partnership. 

“There will be a great deal of focus on defense and security cooperation, as well as technology cooperation,” said Lisa Curtis, director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. “The US is setting the stage for an announcement that it will co-produce jet-engine technology with India, which is a huge deal. Only a handful of countries have this kind of technology capabilities.”

India is also close to signing a deal to buy MQ-9B armed surveillance drones from the US. Earlier this month, the US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, met India’s defense minister, Rajnath Singh, in Delhi to set up a road map for defense industry cooperation.

While the US wants to help India enhance its military capabilities, Curtis said, “Part of the goal here is to wean India away from its dependence on Russian military technology.”

About half of India’s weapons imports come from Russia. This defense partnership is the cornerstone of the close ties between Delhi and Moscow, which date back to the Cold War. It’s also why India has not condemned Russia for invading Ukraine. While the US isn’t particularly happy about this, Curtis said it has largely accepted it.

“India is too important for the United States over the longer term, and so, there is a willingness to set aside the US-India differences over Russia,” Curtis said.

On the Indian side, there has been a “sea change” in the outlook towards the US, said Rajan Menon, director of the Grand Strategy Program at the Washington-based think tank Defense Priorities. 

In the 1970s, relations between the two were “frosty,” Curtis said. During the India-Pakistan war of 1971, Washington sided with Islamabad as Delhi turned to Moscow. But over the past two decades, and under Republican and Democratic administrations, the US has warmed up to India. In recent years, the two nations have also been pushed toward each other by another Asian giant. 

“China is playing matchmaker here,” Rossow said.

Tensions between the US and China have been at a historic low. Meanwhile, India and China are engaged in a standoff over their disputed border in the Himalayas, where fighting breaks out sporadically. Besides security concerns, Rossow said, Biden and Modi will also discuss cooperation in strategic commercial sectors to keep China’s rise in check.

“Areas that are important for global growth and technology evolution, and those areas where China has a market moving position, so critical minerals and rare earth, 5G and 6G, undersea cables, artificial intelligence, quantum, even commercial space exploration,” Rossow said. “Can we break China's stranglehold and their ability to use these things as commercial threats against other countries?”

Menon said that this is a “new chapter” in US-India relations and one that is “largely China-driven.” And while India is welcoming deeper ties with the US, it is also careful not to upset other nations.

Biden and Modi hugging each other on stage

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugs President Joe Biden after Biden spoke during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. 

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

“India’s government will have to balance how it handles the relationship with the US with its long-standing relationship with Russia,” Menon said. “It doesn't want to alienate both China and Russia simultaneously. So, there's a kind of a delicate dance going on.”

In India, Modi’s visit is being seen as proof that Delhi has played its balancing act between Washington and Moscow well.

As the White House prepares to welcome Modi for a state banquet, human rights groups are protesting against his visit, saying his policies back home target religious minorities. Modi was once denied a US visa for his alleged role in anti-Muslim riots in 2002.

“[The US] talks a good game on the human rights front, and sometimes, we're sincere, but when it comes to concrete interests, we're perfectly willing to put them to the side,” Menon said. 

Rossow said that the Biden administration will raise human rights concerns with Modi, but in private. 

“They're not going to want to tip over the applecart by pushing too hard,” he said, because the broader relationship with India is too important.

In 2006, then-Sen. Biden laid out a grand vision for US-India relations. 

“My dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States. If that occurs, the world will be safer,” he  said then . 

“I don’t think we’re quite there; it is more aspirational right now,” Curtis said. 

India and the US are not allies and probably never will be, she said. But they are strategic partners with mutual interests that span several areas. Related:   Amid war in Ukraine, India maintains 'strategic partnership' with Russia

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Modi in US: A look back at PM's previous visits to United States

The prime minister will undertake his first designated state visit to the us from june 20-24..

On Tuesday morning, prime minister Narendra Modi left for the United States on his maiden ‘ state visit ’ to the country after being invited by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. This is only the third state visit by an Indian leader to the US, the first two coming in June 1963 (President S Radhakrishnan) and November 2009 (PM Manmohan Singh).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplanes for the USA visit, on Tuesday. He will be attending programmes in New York City and Washington DC. (ANI Photo)

Modi, however, has undertaken several visits to US as India's PM. Here is a look back at his previous visits to the United States (as listed on the US State Department's website ):

He went there in September 2021 as well; that trip, however, is not listed on the State Department's website.

Indian PMs in United States

As many as 9 Indian prime ministers, including Modi and his predecessor Singh, have undertaken official visits to the United States. While Singh went there 8 times, Jawaharlal Nehru, the country's first PM, made as many as 4 visits, the same number as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who preceded Singh in the office.

Others are Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi (3 each), PV Narasimha Rao (2), and Morarji Desai and IK Gujral (1 each).

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PM Modi in US Highlights: 900+ Indian-Americans rally in unity march to honour visit

PM Modi in US Highlights: 900+ Indian-Americans rally in unity march to honour visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the United States from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Ahead of Modi's expected departure today, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra shared details on the prime minister's itinerary during a special briefing. His agenda includes a series of high-level meetings on defence cooperation and critical and emerging technologies. Catch LIVE updates on Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US with CNBC-TV18 here:

Live updates.

PM Modi in US LIVE update | India and GE likely to forge unprecedented jet engine deal during Modi's US visit

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US, there is significant anticipation regarding a potential agreement between General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to transfer critical engine technology. The deal is expected to enable the production of the GE-F414 jet engine in India. This agreement, if finalized, would be considered unprecedented and could involve a multi-million-dollar investment.

The GE-F414 engine is a widely used jet engine that powers various fighter aircraft, including the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

PM Modi US visit LIVE update | No other economy like India, says ex-USIBC president

"Are there any other economies that are growing at 7 per cent GDP? That's India! It's important that we continue to advance this partnership," Ron Somers, ex-president of India-US Business Council, said ahead of PM Modi's visit to the US.

PM Modi in US LIVE update | Defence stocks gain ahead of visit

The defence pack surges ahead of PM Modi's visit to the US on June 19th as there are multiple defence deals on the radar. The defence sector is a key beneficiary of the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat policy as self sufficiency is a key focus for the Indian central government. To add to it, China +1 strategy works in favor of Indian defence equipment makers. Indian PSUs have been working on developing efficiencies and executions, which is reflected in the large executed order books of these players.

PM Modi in US LIVE update | Defence industrial cooperation roadmap to be key outcome of PM's US visit: Foreign Secretary Kwatra

A roadmap for defence industrial cooperation is expected to be the key outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States beginning June 21, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference here, he said all aspects of defence co-production and co-development will be part of the discussions between Modi and US President Joe Biden.

"One of the key components which will be prominently showcased will be bilateral defence cooperation," he said.

PM Modi in US LIVE update |  Prime Minister Modi has made six trips to the United States since 2014. However, the present visit holds a distinct significance as it marks his first state visit to the country. A state visit is regarded as the highest form of diplomatic exchange between two countries.

PM Modi in US LIVE update | Over 900 Indian American diaspora members join unity march to welcome Modi

Over 900 people from over 20 cities joined in on the Unity March across the United States on Sunday, an individual told ANI.

"We are all here to celebrate Unity Day. PM Modi will be joining President Biden, this is a great event for all of us. More than 900 people from over 20 cities will be joining us in the Unity March," Ramesh, a member of the Indian-American diaspora, told ANI.

PM Modi in US LIVE updates | 'Very proud moment for all of us': Indian-American diaspora member

PM Modi in US LIVE update | Indian Americans hold unity rally in Washington to welcome Modi

PM Modi in US LIVE updates | Diaspora members in US chant pro-Modi slogans ahead of state visit

PM Modi in US LIVE updates | Sikh community members celebrate state visit

PM Modi US visit: Date, full schedule, events and agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States from June 21-23 and Egypt from June 24-25. He will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on his first day.  Check other details here.

PM Modi in US LIVE updates | Ahead of Modi's visit, former Twitter CEO alleges government pressure during farmer protest

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, former Twitter CEO and founder Jack Dorsey accused the Indian government of making several requests to block accounts critical of the government during the 2020 farmers’ protest.

India, on the other hand, has called the accusation an "outright lie."

Read more on the saga here.

PM Modi in US LIVE updates | Preparations underway for International Day of Yoga celebrations in NYC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his official state visit to the United States by leading the ninth International Day of Yoga celebrations on June 21. Preparations for the event are underway — check here for details.

US pushing India to seal big armed drone deal for PM Modi's visit: Sources

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, the Joe Biden administration is pushing New Delhi to cut through its own red tape and advance a deal for dozens of US-made armed drones, two people familiar with the matter said. Read more here.

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Indian Prime Minister Modi’s Visit to Washington Is His Most Important So Far. Here’s What to Know

O n Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden will meet India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on an official state visit in Washington D.C, which includes a South Lawn welcome, a state dinner, and an address to a joint session of Congress—an honor rarely granted to a visiting foreign leader. Modi will become just the third world leader, after France’s Emmanuel Macron and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol, to receive this kind of diplomatic reception from President Biden.

While Modi has visited the U.S. many times—most recently for a three-day visit in September 2021, where he held a bilateral meeting with Biden—this will be the first time the Prime Minister’s trip will be categorized as the highest ranked visit according to diplomatic protocol. (The last state visit to the U.S. by an Indian leader was by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009.)

As India takes center stage as the world’s most populous country , one of the fastest growing economies, and a powerhouse for tech and innovation, the Biden Administration hopes it can court the country as a crucial ally to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Read More: How India’s Record-Breaking Population Will Shape the World

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“The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space,” the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement .

Below, what to know about the upcoming visit.

What are the top priorities for Modi’s state visit?

The state visit will include conversations aimed at further cementing an already-growing defense and manufacturing relationship between the U.S. and India. More recently, Washington and New Delhi have been engaged in discussions about jointly producing jet engines, long-range artillery, and military vehicles. In May, India joined Biden’s 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which primarily aims to reduce China’s economic dominance through manufacturing, but without drawing up a formal trade agreement. Now, American company General Electric is hoping to co-produce military jets in the country, while the U.S. has increased investment in a semiconductor and chip manufacturing ecosystem set in India as a way to decrease dependence on Chinese manufacturing.

“The United States has really oriented a lot of its domestic and foreign policy around this question of, ‘how do we counter the Chinese challenge?’” says Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at Carnegie. “So if you think about semiconductors and chip manufacturing, India is a big player right now.”

In the weeks leading up to Modi’s visit, both the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan have also made trips to New Delhi in an attempt to cut through the red tape to secure deals.

Read More: What Modi’s Visit to Washington Tells Us About Indian American Voters

This week, Reuters reported that India was inching closer to buying more than two dozen U.S.-made armed drones worth $2 to $3 billion to help enhance border surveillance and improve counterterrorism intelligence operations. The development comes after Sullivan, along with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, unveiled an ambitious roadmap for Indo-U.S. collaboration in specific high-technology areas, including semiconductors, next-generation telecommunication, artificial intelligence and defense.

For India, striking deals with the U.S. will in turn strengthen the country’s hard power capabilities and make it a hotbed for innovation. “They are hoping to get more U.S. dollars, more U.S. companies, and more U.S. entrepreneurs to make India a central part of their growth and expansion plans,” says Vaishnav.

Why do the U.S. and India want to counter China?

Experts say both countries see their strategic interests converge in countering China’s threat as it becomes more expansionist and ambitious on the global stage. For the U.S., China has increasingly become its biggest competitor in the spheres of influence, while India has been embroiled in territorial disputes in the Himalayas ever since it fought a brief war with China in 1962.

In 2020, tensions between India and China flared when Beijing became more assertive over land claims along the shared Himalayan border and an altercation between Indian and Chinese military forces in the northern Indian region of Ladakh reportedly left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. China’s close ties to Pakistan has also resulted in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as part of the Belt and Road Initiative and controversially passes through a section of Kashmir controlled by Islamabad, adding to India’s concerns.

By helping India build up its economic and defense capabilities, Washington hopes to coordinate with New Delhi to tackle global challenges as part of its long-term interests, says Vaishnav. “Washington is really looking to create a framework of deterrence to essentially deter Chinese expansionism, and they view India as a linchpin in this strategy,” he says.

How has the relationship between India and the U.S. changed?

TOPSHOT-INDONESIA-G20-SUMMIT

Relations between India and the U.S. have changed in notable ways over the years. After independence from British rule in 1947, India was more closely aligned with Russia during the Cold War era due to U.S. distrust and estrangement over India’s nuclear program, while the U.S. had a stronger partnership with India’s rival, Pakistan.

The two countries remained “estranged democracies,” according to the former U.S. Ambassador, Dennis Kux, until the early 1990s. However, since the early 2000s, U.S. administrations from Bill Clinton to Donald Trump have worked to build a strong relationship with India, recognizing its potential to be a strategic partner in ensuring the security of the Indo-Pacific region.

In 2005, India and the U.S. signed a major nuclear deal under which India was recognized de facto as a nuclear weapons power. More recently, India’s participation in the Quad, a security alliance between the U.S. and its allies, Australia, Japan and India, has led to the country becoming a critical element of American defense strategy.

Last year, the two countries conducted joint military exercises not far from the disputed Indo-China border, and in May, joined Biden’s 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which officials and business executives hope will reduce American reliance on Chinese manufacturing for mutual benefit, including increased iPhone shipments from Indian-based factories.

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Write to Astha Rajvanshi at [email protected]

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What’s behind Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit?

The US is seeking stronger ties with India, which it sees as a vital ally in efforts to contain China’s rise.

US President Joe Biden shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022

The administration of United States President Joe Biden is scheduled to host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an official visit later this week, as the two countries strengthen their ties amid shared antipathy towards China’s growing influence.

The White House will hold a state dinner in Modi’s honour on June 22, a sign of the burgeoning relationship between the two powers who have stepped up cooperation in areas such as trade and arms sales.

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India, us agree on roadmap for defence industry cooperation, india’s pm narendra modi to address us congress, bbc gets india court summons in defamation case over modi film.

In a press release, the Biden administration said that a recent trip to New Delhi by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan “underscored the dynamism of the US-India partnership in advance of Prime Minister Modi’s historic official state visit next week to the United States”.

But human rights groups say the celebratory dinner is a de facto endorsement of India’s far-right turn under Modi’s leadership — and undermines the Biden administration’s stated goal of emphasising human rights and democracy in its foreign policy.

During Modi’s tenure, India’s Muslims and other minorities have experienced an uptick in violence and repression as the government leans into a form of Hindu nationalism known as Hindutva . Modi has also been criticised for seeking to consolidate power and crack down on dissent.

“A state dinner is a special occasion; it’s not something that just any foreign leader receives,” Edward Mitchell, the deputy executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told Al Jazeera over a phone call.

“How can the White House honour a leader who is an open anti-Muslim bigot, a right-wing ideologue who censors journalists and turns a blind eye to lynchings? You can work with India and Modi without taking this extra step to celebrate him.”

Confronting China

While advocacy groups have called for greater scrutiny of India’s human rights record , foreign policy experts say the Biden administration is primarily interested in the country as a potential counterweight to China, which the US sees as its most formidable global competitor.

Sarang Shidore, Director of Studies and Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute, a US-based think tank, told Al Jazeera that he believes the US-India relationship will continue to grow as long as their shared concern over China remains in place.

“The United States does not conduct its foreign policy based on democracy and human rights. It conducts its foreign policy based on its interests, as all states do,” Shidore said.

China’s growing military power and assertive territorial claims have become a source of concern for nearby Asian countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and India. The US has worked to fashion alliances with many of those countries in an attempt to contain China’s expanding influence.

“No question, there is increased Chinese nationalism,” said Shidore. “And China sees India as an increasing challenge due to its relationship with the US.”

Expanding ties

That was not always the case. During the Cold War, India’s relations with the US were often frosty. The country had cultivated close ties with the USSR and helped spearhead the Non-Aligned Movement, an organisation of countries that rejected pressures to join either pro-US or pro-Soviet blocs.

For its part, the US was a key ally of Pakistan. And by the early 1970s, the administration of US President Richard Nixon started to build a cooperative relationship with China, as an attempt, in part, to place pressure on the USSR.

But as the Cold War ended and China’s economic rise became a preoccupation of US foreign policy, India — with its size and economic heft — started to be seen as a key regional ally.

Despite its improved ties with the US, however, India has continued to resist what it sees as a false choice between the US and countries like President Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

But as Russia wages war in Ukraine and Washington seeks to isolate Moscow economically and diplomatically, that balancing act has become more difficult for India to maintain.

While India has increased its purchase of weapons from countries such as France and the US and recently agreed on a roadmap to increase cooperation with the US defence industry, it remains the world’s largest importer of Russian arms.

India has also joined China in buying up Russian oil at discounted prices, while the US and the European Union angle to limit Russia’s power in the global energy market.

But Shidore said that India’s status as a central player in Washington’s Asia strategy gives it significant leverage . Its ties to Russia are not likely to get in the way of its relationship with the US, he explained.

“India has played this quite well, playing Russia and the US off each other, and has benefitted in the process,” he said. “A country like India, which has such a strong convergence with the US on China, can create major spaces where it will differ very strongly from the US and can ride that out.”

Consolidating control

While US relations with allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel have come under political scrutiny in recent years, Modi’s trip to the US has been welcomed with bipartisan support. An a joint letter inviting Modi to address Congress during his visit, members of the US House of Representatives and Senate have hailed the visit as a sign of the “enduring friendship” between the two countries.

“During your address, you will have the opportunity to share your vision for India’s future and speak to the global challenges our countries both face,” the letter reads.

However, Modi’s human rights record has not gone entirely unremarked. On Tuesday, a group of more than 70 lawmakers from the US House and Senate penned a letter to the Biden urging him to discuss concerns about religious freedom and journalistic expression in his talks with Modi.

The Muslim rights group CAIR, meanwhile, has issued a statement calling on the White House to drop its plans for a state dinner.

Modi’s high-profile reception in the US is a far cry from what he experienced before he was first elected prime minister in 2014. Prior to becoming India’s leader, Modi had been banned from entering the US due to allegations that he turned a blind eye to anti-Muslim violence in the western Indian state of Gujarat in 2002, when he was the province’s chief minister.

The deadly 2002 riots were the subject of a BBC documentary that Modi tried to ban in January, invoking his emergency powers as prime minister. The rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch screened the documentary in Washington on Tuesday.

Human rights groups say the move to ban the film was representative of a larger effort under Modi to stifle dissent and exercise control over independent institutions. They also accuse his government of pursuing an agenda influenced by far-right Hindu nationalism.

In an annual report on religious freedom in May, the US State Department expressed concern about the situation in India, noting that there were “open calls for genocide against Muslims”, lynchings and “attacks on places of worship”.

In May, for the fourth year in a row, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom called on the State Department to designate India as a “country of particular concern”.

In some states controlled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), politicians who lean into violent anti-Muslim rhetoric face little reprimand. Some Hindu nationalist paramilitaries have also waged a campaign against interfaith marriages , which they portray as an effort to dilute the Hindu population and win converts to Islam through “love jihad”.

Shidore, however, said that Modi’s human rights record has been quickly “papered over” and is unlikely to prevent cooperation with the US, so long as China remains a serious global competitor.

“The United States”, he said, “has set human rights issues aside in order to strengthen ties”.

United States Institute of Peace

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Modi’s Trip to Washington Marks New Heights in U.S.-India Ties

What’s behind the dramatic increase in strategic cooperation? One word: China.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 / By: Sameer P. Lalwani, Ph.D. ;   Daniel Markey, Ph.D. ;   Tamanna Salikuddin ;   Vikram J. Singh

Publication Type: Analysis

Against the backdrop of tightening U.S.-India ties, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Washington this week for an official state visit — only the third President Joe Biden has hosted since taking office. The bilateral relationship has soared to new heights in recent years, particularly on economic, technological and defense issues. Underpinning these developments is both sides’ desire to counter China’s effort to project power and influence across the Indo-Pacific region. While Washington and New Delhi have their disagreements on issues like Russia’s war on Ukraine and human rights, they see the relationship as too strategically vital to be jeopardized by these differences.

President Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Tokyo, May 24, 2022. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

USIP’s Tamanna Salikuddin, Vikram Singh, Sameer Lalwani and Daniel Markey analyze the significance of this visit, the difficult issues that will be on the table, and how China will factor will into the leaders’ discussions.

What is the significance of the state visit for both the United States and for India?

Salikuddin: Modi’s visit will be filled with substantive and ceremonial events, including a South Lawn welcome, a state dinner and an address to a joint session of Congress. While Modi has visited the United States several times, this will be his first state visit, demonstrating the depth of the bilateral U.S.-India relationship, which Biden has described as the “defining relationship” of the 21st century. Per the White House’s official announcement , “the visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space.”

While none of the official statements mention China, this visit is all about China. As U.S.-China competition is only becoming more intense and the Biden administration identifies China as its “pacing” challenge, India is one of the most important partners for the United States in its Indo-Pacific policy. While India actively counters China on its northern border, its deepening relationship with the United States make it part of the bulwark of nations committed to countering Beijing’s malign influence.

Beyond the convergence on China, India and the United States are seeking deeper ties on economic, defense and technological grounds. This visit is significant in cementing the partnership, and no detail is being left unchecked with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visiting New Delhi in the last few weeks. This visit and the broader high-level U.S.-India engagements this year — including Biden’s planned trip to New Delhi in the fall — are a high-water mark in the bilateral relationship. Coming 18 years after the historic U.S.-India civil nuclear deal, these engagements highlight the remarkable progress that has been made in terms of expanding economic, social, technological and defense aspects of the U.S.-India relationship.

As Modi departed India, he reaffirmed the significance of the trip: “I am confident that my visit to the [U.S.] will reinforce our ties based on shared values of democracy, diversity, and freedom. Together we stand stronger in meeting the shared global challenges.”

What are the difficult topics that might be on the table, and how are Biden and Modi likely to navigate these?

Singh: Biden and Modi are determined to take U.S.-India relations to a new level with this visit, and part of having a mature strategic partnership is the ability to tackle difficult issues and areas of disagreement.

Issues that get a lot of media attention include policy differences on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and issues of human rights and democracy. More below-the-radar are key regional challenges like Afghanistan and Myanmar ; enduring difficulties in a bilateral trade agenda; and finding a way to cooperate more on global governance, especially regulation of technology and the digital economy.

India will also seek progress in easing visas for Indian citizens, especially student visas and H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, and U.S. commitments to greater technology sharing needed to implement the high-tech cooperation the leaders have rolled out.

A major change over the past decade is that the United States and India can now disagree on some issues and continue to work together on a large shared agenda. Given the strong personal bond Biden and Modi seem to have developed, expect them to be direct and forthright with one another in private and broadly supportive and celebratory in public.

On issues like Ukraine, intense private consultations will likely touch on assessments of the state of the conflict and the need to ensure Putin does not turn to nuclear weapons. Biden may seek Modi’s assessment of Putin and possible paths Russia might take to end the war. On Afghanistan, Modi and Biden may share assessments of Taliban, al-Qaida, ISIS and Pakistan-based militant threats since the U.S. withdrawal. India has kept a small diplomatic presence in Afghanistan and may encourage the United States to engage more actively to partner in preventing terrorism in and from the region.

Democracy and human rights, which get the most media attention, will not be avoided, but expect a similar pragmatic approach. U.S. leaders are concerned about democracy everywhere — including at home. Biden has taken an inclusive view that all democracies face challenges and that leaders of democracies should work together to improve durable democratic development. That will likely be the approach with India. U.S. leaders will welcome public comments or gestures from Modi in support of pluralistic democracy, but do not believe that lecturing India on these issues can be effective. A logical takeaway is that the United States will handle human rights concerns with India more like it does with a country like Poland.

First and foremost, Biden and Modi both pursue the interests of their own citizens, and they seem to understand each other on this basis. For Modi, this means development and meeting the basic needs of 1.4 billion people by transforming India into a modern, global technology powerhouse that competes with China. For Biden it means rebuilding the American middle class and maintaining America’s global leadership. Underneath the lofty rhetoric about two great democracies, these leaders see pragmatic benefits for their own people coming from deeper social, economic, political and security ties. They will manage the hard stuff to protect those gains.

How might the outcomes of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s recent trip to India shape conversations on defense and technology?

Lalwani: Austin’s trip to New Delhi two weeks ago helped finalize agreements and set the table for Modi’s historic state visit to Washington. The 2022 U.S. National Defense Strategy called for more technology cooperation with allies and partners, which produced greater technology-sharing mechanisms with Australia (through the AUKUS deal with the United Kingdom) as well as with Japan . Now the United States appears poised to take some unprecedented steps toward the third partner in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, India.

U.S. technology cooperation with India is likely to include co-production and technology sharing of General Electric engines , which will be used in Indian military fighter jets to deter and defend against China. Additional Defense Department efforts involve a defense industrial cooperation roadmap to expedite co-production of military equipment; new programs to network both countries entrepreneurs, research labs, industry, and venture capital fueling defense innovations over the medium term; and enhanced scientific collaboration on emerging technologies in artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and robotics.

The strategic result will be twofold — enhanced Indian deterrence and greater trust in U.S.-India defense collaboration. First, in the near to medium term, India will be able to augment its military capabilities to defend against Chinese aggression, which ratcheted up with the Galwan crisis and clashes during the summer of 2020. The defense industrial roadmap involves four focus areas for fast-tracking technology cooperation: air combat and land mobility systems; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); munitions; and the undersea domain awareness (UDA).

As India is able to quickly develop better ISR assets, it will be able to identify the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) maneuvers or gray zone incursions on their disputed continental border much earlier. Similarly, better UDA will enable India to better discern and track Chinese submarine activity in the Indian Ocean, and share that data with friends and partners. With both, detection will play a critical role in deterrence. Greater land mobility systems will help India to quickly surge forces and supplies to flashpoints along the disputed border with China, while longer range munitions can threaten to interdict PLA supply lines in the event of a conflict.

The second expected result of this technology sharing effort can be greater mutual trust in order to enhance collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. The trust generated from top-down and bottom-up technology cooperation may be less tangible yet is more significant. India has made no secret of its decades-long desire for a high-technology partnership, and the great lengths the U.S. government has gone to fulfill this deserve serves as a costly signal of its commitment and reliability. With this mutual trust, both partners will be better able to engage in more advanced joint assessments, contingency planning, and exercises as they prepare to backstop each other, interoperate together, and share the burdens of deterring aggression and securing the Indo-Pacific commons.

What are the most pressing issues the United States and India will be focused on when it comes to China?

Markey: The bedrock for cooperation between the United States and India lies in a shared interest in deterring Chinese territorial aggression and challenging the extension of China’s political influence and military presence in India’s backyard.

The most immediate concern is along the Line of Actual Control, the contested China-India land border, where China has made vast investments in military infrastructure that have already enabled it to push India from former patrolling points and could, in a worst-case scenario, even enable large-scale incursions into Indian territory. U.S. officials are eager to help India reinforce its own capacity to deter and defend against such attacks, as they pose a genuine near-term threat to Indian security and represent a dangerous precedent that could intimidate other less powerful states across the Indo-Pacific region. U.S. defense sales to India are intended to fill immediate capability gaps (for instance, to improve border surveillance with U.S.-made drones ) as well as to co-manufacture future weapon systems (such as fighter jet engines ).

Also of concern to both Washington and New Delhi is the rapid growth of China’s navy. Although China’s military is disproportionately focused on challenges along the nation’s eastern seaboard, especially Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, the rapid modernization and expansion of its fleet enables operations across the Indian Ocean as well. U.S. officials aim to explore cooperative ventures with India that will enable better monitoring of and response to Chinese maritime activities.

Finally, whereas in the past Indian officials jealously perceived U.S. involvement in South Asia as a threat to India’s regional hegemony, now New Delhi is increasingly eager to see Washington play an active economic and political role in neighboring states across the region, such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, as a means to counterbalance Chinese influence.

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Here's why Democrats and Republicans welcome a visit from right-wing Indian PM Narendra Modi

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and congressional leaders will roll out the red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, as the right-wing Hindu nationalist leader arrives for an official state visit to the United States.

Modi will address a joint session of Congress and will be feted at a White House state dinner — a diplomatic honor usually reserved for close allies. On Sunday, many Indian Americans took to the streets in major cities across the country for an "India Unity Day" march to welcome Modi to the U.S.

The marches, organized by the American overseas arm of Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, were a show of support for the controversial Indian leader who has faced criticism for presiding over human rights violations, an erosion of the country's democracy, and a crackdown in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

That Democrats and Republicans alike are honoring Modi this week demonstrates the White House and Congress are willing to overlook his right-wing populist agenda in the pursuit of a strategically important relationship that will allow the U.S. to counter China's influence .

Why the U.S. relationship with India is 'strategically important'

Meanwhile, Modi's political allies in Washington stepped up their lobbying efforts with members of Congress and the Biden administration ahead of his official state visit this week.

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Sanjay Puri, the chairman and founder of the bipartisan U.S.-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), said that in their lobbying efforts, the group has sought to underscore that India is "the only democracy in that region" and emphasize that the rise of China resulted in the U.S.-India partnership becoming a "strategically important relationship."

"That's been our push," Puri said of the group's discussions with lawmakers ahead of Modi's visit. "It has resulted in, obviously, the [congressional] leadership asking him to come in and speak and also President Biden inviting him for a state dinner as well as several other activities around that."

In addition to combatting American criticism of the Indian government's human rights record, the welcome marches likely also sought to enhance Modi's political image at home ahead of a general election next year, according to Gautam Nair, a professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

"This visit actually should buttress his domestic political standing," Nair, who was born and raised in India, said. "And these rallies sort of suggest, or help foster an image, that he is an international leader of stature as well."

Mukesh Aghi, president of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, said the "the Indian diaspora is quite excited about what Modi is doing, excited about the direction of the country, and feel proud of their heritage."

Countering China

Modi's visit also comes just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing over the weekend, a bid to improve relations between the two superpowers after months of heightened tensions. Washington has increasingly looked to forge closer ties with New Delhi to counter China's rising political and economic influence.

Nair said he believes the rationale for giving Modi the star treatment during his visit to the United States is "quite clear."

"This extra effort is because traditionally India has been wary of forging formal alliances with great powers," Nair said. "This is reflected in the fact that on the one hand, defense ties, diplomatic ties, economic ties are deepening with the United States, and at the same time China is a huge trading partner for India."

Aghi said he expects Modi's visit to yield a deal that will allow General Electric to manufacture jet engines in India for the country's military aircrafts, in addition to fostering discussions on healthcare and artificial intelligence between the two countries.

"I think what we're seeing is a much more deeper collaboration on technology, investments, and defense," Aghi said.

How this U.S.-India partnership could be one of the most significant in a century

Rep. Ro Khanna , D-Calif., who serves as a co-chair of the U.S.-India congressional caucus, told USA TODAY he believes the "U.S.-India partnership will be one of the most significant of this century."

"We will be working to strengthen the technology and defense relationship and to promote scientific research and cooperation on climate change initiatives," Khanna said.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley , a 2024 Republican presidential candidate and the daughter of Indian immigrants, said she also welcomed the decision to invite Modi for an official state visit.

"India is a critically important country in the Indo-Pacific region and a natural ally of America with so many shared values and interests," Haley told USA TODAY. "It is entirely appropriate that Prime Minister Modi should address Congress and be celebrated at the White House."

Biden and American political leaders, however, have faced criticism for giving Modi the official state visit treatment without putting a stronger focus on the rollback of press freedoms in India and his government's treatment of minority Muslims and Christians.

"The relationship must be grounded on a respect for pluralism, an open internet, human rights and liberal democracy," Khanna said.

Why it matters: Secretary Blinken visits Beijing as tensions grow between U.S. and China

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Indian Prime Minister Modi to visit the U.S.

Ayesha Rascoe, photographed for NPR, 2 May 2022, in Washington DC. Photo by Mike Morgan for NPR.

Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Seema Sirohi – a columnist for The Economic Times – about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US this week.

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

The White House will roll out the red carpet this week for a crucial Asian ally. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet President Biden on Thursday, with a lavish state dinner also on the schedule. That same day, Modi will address a joint session of Congress. The Biden administration has made deepening ties with India a top foreign policy priority as it hopes to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Seema Sirohi is a columnist for The Economic Times, one of India's most influential newspapers, and author of the book "Friends With Benefits: The India-U.S. Story." She joins us now to discuss the trip. Welcome.

SEEMA SIROHI: Nice to be with you.

RASCOE: The White House is pulling out all the stops for Prime Minister Modi. Why is this relationship so important to the U.S.?

SIROHI: Well, the U.S. has identified China as a competitor, as a rival. So India has become very important for U.S.'s Indo-Pacific policy because the U.S. wants to retain its No. 1 position in the region. India, which has China on its border, is in a very sort of border standoff situation for the past two years. So the interests of both India and the United States have converged on countering China, to put it very simply. And then there are many, many other reasons why the U.S. thinks of India as a major partner. India needs the U.S. for its own development. The U.S. needs the talent from India. As you might know, there are almost 200,000 Indian students in the United States, and Indian Americans are increasingly very, very important, both politically as well as in the economic arena.

RASCOE: And so what will Prime Minister Modi want from President Biden during this visit? Like, what are his priorities?

SIROHI: So for India, technology transfer is a top priority. Becoming part of the supply chains is another very big priority. Both countries trust each other, and they are building what they call resilient supply chains so that the world will not be dependent on just one factory that is China. There is a deal that might be signed for one of the major U.S. companies to invest in trying to create a semiconductor ecosystem in India. Another big deal that is likely to be announced is for the U.S. General Electric to co-produce its military jet engines in India. And that's a huge step forward 'cause India has long wanted technology transfer. In the past things have stalled because the U.S. hasn't been so amenable to that.

RASCOE: And so, I mean, you've been covering this relationship for decades, so how has it changed over the years?

SIROHI: What I can tell you is when I first came to Washington, India was not an important partner for the United States. Everything was about China and Pakistan, both of which are rivals of India. Then President George W. Bush changed dramatically the U.S. policy towards India because Bush's idea was why aren't the two democracies better friends? So India and the U.S. signed a major nuclear deal under which India was recognized de facto as a nuclear weapons power. Now people are comparing that transformative moment to today.

RASCOE: Prime Minister Modi has been accused of eroding Indian democracy and suppressing criticism of his ruling party. Do you think any of that will be raised this week?

SIROHI: It won't be raised in public, I would say - not by the administration, not at the White House. But you might see some comments from congressmen and senators on Capitol Hill. But right now, realism in terms of geopolitics tops human rights concerns, to put it very bluntly. Countering China is very important for the United States at this moment, and getting as many allies and partners in line on the American side is the main goal.

RASCOE: That's Seema Sirohi, a newspaper columnist and author of "Friends With Benefits: The India-U.S. Story." Thank you so much for being with us.

SIROHI: Thank you.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets supporters as he arrives in New York on 20 June 2023.

‘India is now a linchpin’: US looks to Narendra Modi’s visit to counter China

The Biden administration will try to strengthen US-India ties while the Indian leader looks to shore up votes for next year’s election

T he symbolism of the visit will be hard to avoid. As Narendra Modi arrives in Washington DC on Wednesday – the capital of a country he was once prohibited from visiting for almost 10 years – he will join the ranks of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Volodymyr Zelenskiy as one of the few leaders to address a joint session of Congress more than once.

Statements from US officials ahead of the visit have been rapturous on the subject of US-India relations, praising the “significant defence partnership” and describing it as “a unique connection between the world’s oldest and largest democracies”. Before his departure from India , Modi said: “This special invitation is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between our democracies.”

Yet this trip – Modi’s sixth to the US since he came to power in 2014 but the first where a full state dinner will be given in his honour – is expected to yield more than good optics for the Indian prime minister. Many expect it to further crystallise ties between two countries and boost a relationship that has been on an upwards trajectory for two decades – even as they remain fundamentally opposed on several key issues. Defence, technology, security, AI, telecoms, visas, manufacturing and space are all said to be on the table. Meanwhile, the issues of the erosion of democracy in India and the shrinking space for dissent and civil society under Modi are unlikely to be discussed in depth.

Now the world’s most populous country – with 1.4 billion people and rising – and the world’s fifth largest economy, India’s growing prominence, both economically and geopolitically, makes it a country that the Biden administration – like those of Trump, Obama and Bush before it – could not ignore. Yet most experts say that it is China that has been the fundamental driver of this growing alliance; and as Modi touches down in DC, mutual concerns over Beijing’s aggressive, expansionist agenda have never been more acute.

Since Modi last visited the US in 2019, when Donald Trump was in the White House, China’s actions along its 2,100-mile (3,500km) border with India have become increasingly antagonistic. In 2020, the two sides came the closest they had been to war in 70 years when troops clashed along the Himalayan border in Ladakh , killing dozens of soldiers, after Chinese troops encroached on land typically patrolled by India. Since then, China has built up vast amounts of infrastructure along disputed territory and shown little desire to disengage in key areas of contention.

Chinese video footage showing Indian and Chinese troops facing off in 2020.

This has coincided with a shift in Washington’s relationship with China , from that of strategic competitor to rival or outright threat that must be deterred and contained. The bipartisan consensus is that India is a crucial geopolitical, and even economic, counterweight to China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.

“In Washington, the hope is to build out an extended framework of deterrence to try and keep China in check,” said Milan Vaishnav, director of the south Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Both geographically as well as strategically and economically, India has become a linchpin in this framework.”

This geopolitical alignment over China – which also drove the formation of the Quad, a security grouping of India, the US, Australia and Japan – has led to an unprecedented flourishing of security and defence cooperation between the US and India. There has been increased intelligence sharing and joint military exercises in the Himalayas close to the China border, and Modi’s US visit is expected to yield several defence deals for surveillance technology and drones.

India has embraced Washington’s new willingness to share its advanced technology and cyber resources, given that its own technological advancements have lagged far behind China’s. Modi will be hoping to close a landmark deal allowing US giant General Electric to produce jet engines in India, to power Indian military aircraft. It will be the first time such a collaboration on military technology has taken place, sending a clear message to China.

While there is little expectation of trade deals between the two countries, trade between India and the US reached a record $191bn in 2022, making the US India’s largest trading partner. There is an interest on both sides in building up India as an economic and manufacturing alternative for big western companies to wean it off its dependency on China – 95% of iPhones are currently made in China, for example, but Apple is slowly shifting manufacturing to India, which is expected to produce 25% of iPhones by 2025.

The limits of a US-India relationship

Yet for all the gushing rhetoric about being “partners of first resort”, experts have also been quick to point out the limitations of the US-India relationship.

Writing in Foreign Affairs, Ashley Tellis, one of the key negotiators for the US nuclear deal with India , warned that even as the Biden administration continued to invest heavily in India, it should not have any “ delusions of New Delhi becoming a comrade-in-arms during some future crisis with Beijing ”, particularly in terms of India actively taking the US side if China invades Taiwan.

“India will never be the kind of ally that the Americans have found in the Anglosphere: this is not going to be Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom,” said Avinash Paliwal, an associate professor in international relations at Soas University of London.

“India thinks of itself as a power on its own merit and it has its own geographical compulsions, its own kind of power and its own aspirations on a regional and global scale. There is a meeting of minds and interests at the moment but that’s not something that will last for ever.”

Another issue that looms large over Modi’s visit is that of human rights, in particular the democratic backsliding and the attacks on minorities in India since his populist, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power. They are allegations that have haunted Modi even before he was prime minister, when his alleged role in the Gujarat riots led to him being banned from the US for a decade .

They have been well documented by the Biden administration. Last year, the state department’s report on international religious freedom documented the challenges to freedom of expression, extrajudicial killings and discrimination against minority groups in Modi’s India, prompting India to call the report “flawed and biased”. More recently, the Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan agency appointed by Congress, recommended in May that the state department designate India a country of concern for “ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations”.

Joe Biden met with Narendra Modi at the White House on 24 September 2021.

Before Modi’s visit, Amnesty International called on the US to confront India on the deterioration of human rights and Human Rights Watch organised a screening for US policymakers of a BBC documentary that was critical of Modi, and which was banned in India earlier, as a deliberate reminder of the attacks on freedom of speech under his government.

Yet no US president since Bill Clinton has been forthright on human rights in India, and though the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, did make a rare reference to a rise in “human rights abuses” last year, the Biden administration is expected to continue to keep quiet on any discomfort it may have over Modi’s populist, religious nationalist politics in the name of building strategic security ties. Already several White House officials have made recent references to India’s “vibrant democracy”.

“It’s unlikely to come up, at least in this round of conversations,” said Paliwal. “The Americans are OK doing business with quasi- or undemocratic countries and so I don’t see the democratic decline in India dislocating the glue that is binding the top levels of the two governments or preventing them coming together to deal with the China question.”

Russia, which was briefly a source of contention between India and the US, is also unlikely to be brought up by Biden. India’s historic ties to Russia, which provides almost 80% of its defence and weapons, have ensured that Modi has refused to condemn Putin’s invasion of Ukraine , instead taking a neutral stance, and in the meantime India has become the biggest buyer of cheap Russian oil. While there was initial pushback from Washington, the consensus among analysts is that the Biden administration has now accepted India’s deep-rooted relationship Russia; some believe it has even hastened US cooperation with India on defence to help the country become less dependent on Russia.

But for Modi, this visit can also serve a more personal political purpose. In the US, the Indian diaspora is now one of the largest immigrant groups – second only to Mexicans – and its members occupy influential positions in tech, business, banking and law, and some have even become well-known faces in Hollywood. Emphasising these people-to-people ties, and the vital contributions Indians have made in the US, is also likely to be a prominent part of Modi’s trip.

With India’s next general election less than a year away, the optics of Modi being given full honours by the US president are also likely to play well to the electorate back home. Modi is expected to win a third term in office and his popularity is credited in part to an image among voters that he has made India into a respected player on the world stage and is now courted by powerful western leaders.

“Since independence, India has seen itself as an international power but felt it did not get the recognition or role it deserved,” said Tanvi Madan, director of the India Project at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. “But Modi seems to believe that endorsements from the US, far from generating a backlash, generate a sense of optimism that this is India’s moment.”

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  • KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM PM MODI’S U.S. VISIT

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Key takeaways from PM Modi’s U.S. Visit

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Why in news?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a three-day state visit to the United States adding momentum to the India-USA bilateral relationship.

How significant is the State visit?

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 3-day state visit to the US has had a significant impact on India's global standing.
  • It highlights the country's dual identity as a spiritual democracy and an economic power .
  • The visit showcased India's cultural heritage, diplomatic prowess, and its growing influence on the world stage.
  • The bilateral meeting between the two sides brought out several strategic outcomes for India ranging from emerging technologies, space, energy and defence.
  • It strengthened the bilateral relationship between India and the U.S.

What are the key takeaways from PM’s U.S. visit?

india-usties

  • Semiconductor Supply Chains - A MoU on Semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership was signed between the countries.
  • Critical Minerals - India became the newest partner of the U.S.’s Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) to diversify and secure critical mineral supply chains.
  • Telecommunications - India and the United States launched public-private Joint Task Forces.
  • India’s Bharat 6G and the U.S. Next G Alliance will co-lead this public-private research.
  • Space - India has signed the Artemis Accords, a common vision of space exploration for the benefit of all humankind. To know more about this, Click here .
  • Quantum tech - A Joint Quantum Coordination Mechanism was established to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both countries.
  • iCET - ‘ Innovation Handshake’ , a commercial Dialogue will be launched to connect each country’s start-up ecosystems, supporting U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology ( iCET ).
  • Civil Aviation - Air India strike a historic agreement with Boeing to acquire more than 200 American-made aircraft.
  • Defence - The India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was inaugurated joint innovation on defense technologies integrating India’s private defense industry.
  • Student Exchange - Launched a new Joint Task Force of the Association of American Universities and leading Indian educational institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology.
  • Research - Launched a university network of Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes to help create more research partnerships and exchanges in agriculture, energy, health, and technology.
  • Energy - USAID signed an MOU with the Ministry of Railways to work together on Indian Railways’ target to become a “net-zero” carbon emitter by 2030.
  • India and the United States committed to creating innovative investment platforms for Green Technology.
  • Medicine - The U.S. National Cancer Institute through two new grants to develop an artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled digital pathology platform.

How is India’s strategic independence and geopolitical balance?

Indo-pacific - the united states to join the indo-pacific oceans initiative, a regional initiative inaugurated by indian prime minister..

  • Indian Ocean - The United States and India will hold an Indian Ocean Dialogue that convenes U.S. and Indian officials to promote greater regional coordination. 
  • Reiterates permanent membership in a reformed UNSC,
  • Has announced support for Indian membership in the International Energy Agency (IAEA)
  • Recommits to advancing Indian membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
  • Also President Biden has invited Prime Minister Modi to attend the APEC Summit in San Francisco in November 2023.
  • The Indian Express | Highlights of PM Modi’s US visit
  • The Indian Express | Modi says talks, decisions add a new chapter
  • Whitehouse | Republic of India Official State Visit to the U.S.

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Prelim bits 27-06-2023 | upsc daily current affairs.

modi last visit to usa

Narendra Modi is asking India to extend his term as one of the most powerful people in the world. This is his secret past

Narendra Modi looks directly into camera while wearing rimless glasses and a beige stole

Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but much of his life is shrouded in mystery. These hidden chapters tell the true story. 

The Modi family gathered on the lawn of the fanciest hotel in their hometown in the Indian state of Gujarat for their nephew's engagement.

It was October 2023. The trees were lit up with multi-coloured lights, buffet tables were spread out across the garden while men in kurtas and women in saris chatted and ate.

But there was a key person missing from this family event: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Being the leader of the world's most populous country is a busy job, but Indian weddings are a major family affair — even the most elite members of society usually make time to attend a relative's nuptials. So, Modi's absence was remarkable.

It wasn't that Modi avoids weddings altogether. A few years earlier, he attended the wedding of Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra and musician Nick Jonas.

"Wishing you a happy married life," he wrote in the caption of a snap with the couple shared with millions of Instagram followers.

Typically, the weddings of India's elite are lavish on a level unheard of in the West.

Beyonce and Rihanna performed at the pre-wedding celebrations for the children of Mukesh Ambani — India's richest man and a personal friend of Modi's.

But as his own family was celebrating his nephew's engagement at an understated party with a modest guest list, Modi was prepping for a major media moment: his appearance at the Cricket World Cup final in a stadium named after him.

With hundreds of millions of Indians watching, many analysts believed Modi was banking on an Indian win to catapult his election campaign. This may partially explain his absence from the significant family event.

Since Modi unexpectedly left home as a teenager, he's had a patchy relationship with everyone in his family except his mother, who died in 2022.

Despite his relative family estrangement, Modi constantly talks about his humble beginnings.

He has a tight leash on his image, and is cautious not to derail every carefully crafted story that's brought him to the top.

"There's this almost mystical aspect to Modi and the folklore can extend to his childhood," Indian journalist Manisha Pande says.

Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but besides what he chooses to share about his background, the public knows little about him.

Narendra Modi, seen through a car window, brings his hands together in prayer

Under his leadership, India has undergone massive change.

Modi has made his country a powerful geopolitical player lauded by the West, and brought India closer to Australia than ever before.

He's instilled a sense of empowerment in ordinary Indians, giving tens of millions of people homes and toilets — welfare policies that have boosted his approval rating to become one of the most popular leaders in the world.

His nationalist stance has led to policies which favour India's Hindu majority, while democratic pillars such as press freedom and free speech have been threatened, undermined and eroded.

He's become so popular, it's likely he'll win a national election this year, giving him a rare third term and a total of 15 years in power at its conclusion.

There are many myths and legends about Modi's life that have built his appeal. He says he worked for his dad as a chai seller and walked across the country trying to become a monk.

And there are parts of his life he's tried to keep a secret, like the arranged marriage he abandoned as a teenager.

The stories Modi has told about his life have led to his extraordinary rise in the world, but deciphering what's fact from fiction is essential to understanding where he's taking India.

The chai wallah's son

Everyone in the town of Vadnagar seems to have the same last name: Modi.

Most are not related to the prime minister even though they live in his hometown. But Syamaldas Madhavas Modi sees India's leader as a brother.

An older man with red marking on his forehead looks directly into camera

When Syamaldas's mother died when he was young, he moved in with Narendra Modi, his parents and five siblings.

"We used to fly kites and play games in the village. Narendra Modi was very smart," he says fondly.

"We did not have any facilities at home. We used to go outside to go to the toilet … It was hard to get water, so we'd go to the lake to take a bath."

Modi's childhood home is nestled along a narrow concrete lane, where the houses painted in pastel colours are built in a tight terrace formation.

The single-storey, long, narrow house has a large wooden door and is on the edge of Vadnagar, a quaint town built around a lake.

Modi's father, Damordas, was what's known as a chai wallah, or a tea seller, at the local train station.

Chai is a part of the daily hustle for many Indians, and the country has the largest train network in the world.

The Vadnagar station hasn't changed much. Families walk past the pink pillars at its entrance and gather on the station's wide platforms to set off for their big journeys.

Modi consistently references working with his dad at the railway stall.

"I was born in a very poor family. I used to sell tea in a railway coach as a child. My mother used to wash utensils and do lowly household work in the houses of others to earn a livelihood," he said in a 2015 interview with Time Magazine.

"I have seen poverty very closely. I have lived in poverty. As a child, my entire childhood was steeped in poverty."

A train parked by an almost empty platform, with three people talking

To understand why Modi's story of being a chai wallah's son has resonated with India's 1.4 billion voters, it's important to understand the country's political history.

Since independence, India had been largely ruled by one family — the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his descendants. He and his daughter Indira Gandhi, who went on to follow in his footsteps, were rich, English-speaking, university graduates.

Narendra Modi stands apart, connecting on a more relatable level with the everyday Indian, according to Modi biographer and veteran political observer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.

"The fact that he came from a very poor family, all that has been actually dwelled upon at great length. It's also been publicised greatly by Mr Modi because it conveys the sense that he was an outsider, not part of the Indian elite," he says.

"But his father had enough money to ensure that Mr Modi and his brothers went to school. Going to school [meant] he was not working anywhere else."

Mukhopadhyay says that these stories and images of Modi carrying tea to train passengers have been "grossly exaggerated, primarily because it was a nice idea to sell" to the Indian public.

Some locals in Vadnagar dispute how often Modi worked for his father growing up.

In a video that went viral in 2021, Modi's brother Prahlad said Narendra Modi had been hyping up his upbringing as a lone tea seller.

"Narendra did not sell tea alone — we are five brothers and we all sold the tea. So, Narendra should be called a son of a tea vendor, not a tea vendor. This is the mistake of journalists," he said.

While the chai wallah story is questioned, everyone seems to agree on Modi's willpower, ambition, and even stubbornness — all qualities that pushed him to the top.

A black and white portrait shows a class of cadets, from young boys to teenagers and some men.

Syamaldas remembers how Modi would stand up and "dominate" their teachers in front of the class.

"He has always been the same kind of person. If he wants to do something, then he'll definitely do it. He wouldn't be influenced by anyone once he's made up his mind," he says.

"Even today, he can't be influenced."

The child politician

One day after school in the 1960s, Modi and his friend Chandubhai Chimanlal Rami were playing a game called vetra charm, fighting with sticks.

"I remember that game with Modi even today … the game could rip your skin, even make your hands bleed," Chandubhai says.

They were playing at their local branch of a Hindu right-wing organisation known as the RSS, whose volunteers recruited Modi when he was eight years old.

Chandubhai recalls a moment in the game when he made a mistake and it hurt Modi.

"So, he also started making attacks in the incorrect way and it was hurting me too," he says.

Chandubhai saw it as a painful but necessary lesson.

"He did it so I realised I was making a mistake. It also helped me better prepare and boosted my willpower, encouraged me a lot."

An older man in pale pink shirt with pen in pocket looks just beyond camera while a woman sits behinid

With an estimated 6 million members across 68,000 branches known as shakhas, the RSS is believed to be the largest far-right organisation in the world.

Like many ideological organisations, the RSS recruits children to expand its supporter base, says Christophe Jaffrelot, a prominent academic from French university Sciences Po, who is studying the Hindu right.

"You can build or reshape their psyche," he says.

"In the branches of the RSS, young boys are attracted by games … they don't realise and the families don't realise — in the beginning at least — that the content of the ideology is infused via these games and via the atmosphere in the shakha. It's a good way to become a mass movement, without saying it."

A man handles a pole with an orange flag, it has a split in the middle

After months of requests, the ABC gained rare access to an RSS branch that runs similarly to how Modi experienced one as a child decades ago.

In the harsh winter, as the sun rises, around a dozen young men hoist a saffron flag, the colour associated with the Hindu religion.

For many RSS volunteers, the focus on Hinduism is a drawcard.

"I joined the RSS because I have an interest in Hinduism ideology," one RSS member, Ambika, says. "So that keeps me satisfied that I'm doing something for my society and for the nation."

At this shakha, members practise group exercises, many of which involve martial arts. They chant Hindu nationalist slogans that encourage patriotism such as "long live Mother India" and "worship your motherland".

Five men stand with arms by their sides in two rows

Despite the fervent exercises, there's a jovial atmosphere.

"We are Hindu, we are part of this land, we are living here for thousands of years, so, the knowledge [and] tradition which our ancestors developed, it all belongs to us," senior RSS member Rajneesh says.

When asked about people of other religions he says: "We welcome all religions that came to India."

Rajneesh disputes the suggestion the RSS uses games as a way to indoctrinate its young followers, saying the exercises encourage discipline and unity.

"If you have to work for society, you have to be physically fit. If you're physically ill, how can you work for society?" he says.

The focus on physical strength has led many researchers to argue the RSS is a paramilitary organisation, something its members deny.

But in 2018, RSS chief Mohan Bhawat said the organisation could prepare an army to fight for India "within three days".

The RSS has been central to Modi's political rise. He describes it as a "socio-cultural organisation working towards the social and cultural regeneration of India".

It's a description that skirts around the clear and direct goals of the RSS put in place by its founders almost 100 years ago: to make India an emphatically Hindu society.

India is secular in its constitution and, while the vast majority of the country is Hindu, more than 200 million people are Muslim and tens of millions follow other faiths including Sikhism and Christianity.

While the members at the meeting were careful in their language, the RSS founders have been more direct.

"The non-Hindu people of [India] must adopt Hindu culture and languages and respect. They must entertain no idea but those of glorification of the Hindu race and culture," RSS founder M S Golwalkar said.

Hindu right researcher Mr Jaffrelot says that "in terms of ideology, there are affinities between the RSS and the Nazi Germany brand of nationalism, the Mussolinian brand of fascism".

RSS members have been known to resort to violence in the name of their ideology.

One of its members assassinated Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. Decades later, a government-appointed commission found the RSS was responsible for creating a climate conducive to a riot in Jamshedpur that killed 79 Muslims and 25 Hindus. As recently as 2018, RSS members were involved in violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Bihar. 

But the RSS consistently rejects that it sparks religious riots and directs attention to the organisation's efforts to coordinate relief after several natural disasters.

The organisation was praised for delivering oxygen cylinders and medicine to thousands of Indians in hospitals during the country’s debilitating COVID-19 crisis, while helping families cremate their loved ones.

Narendra Modi as a young man stands at a microphone, extending a hand out while speaking to a crowd

Through the 1970s and 80s, Modi rose through the RSS ranks, becoming one of its key organisers.

As prime minister, Modi hasn't actively condoned or condemned violence attributed to RSS members, but his government has enacted laws that critics say have persecuted religious minorities.

Those include revoking the autonomy of India's only majority-Muslim area, Kashmir; passing a law that only permits non-Muslim migrants from nearby countries to be granted citizenship; and opening a Hindu temple where an ancient mosque was torn down , saying it was the birthplace of an important god.

"Modi's politics is based on the RSS agenda, the ideology is the same," Mr Jaffrelot says.

"Muslims have been pushed as second-class citizens by the Modi government with the help of vigilante groups. That's something that the RSS wouldn't have achieved without a leader like him."

While Modi has faced criticism for some of these policies, he's still enormously popular, and research shows he consistently appeals to voters.

The prime minister has defended his government's record, arguing it has brought normalcy to restive Kashmir, for example. 

"If there is a smell of discrimination in anything I have done, then put me in front of the country," Modi said in 2019, while defending the citizenship law.

The RSS maintains it is solely a cultural organisation and doesn't back politicians.

A man wearing black sports jacket sits on a step, smiling in the sun

But like Modi, senior RSS members often transition to the prime minister's political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

In 1951, RSS members created a political arm which eventually merged with other parties to create the BJP.

"RSS is not a political organisation, we believe only in making men. But Narendra Modi is doing a good job," Rajneesh says at the shakha.

"As a citizen, I think those who wish that India should lead, they should support Narendra Modi. So as a citizen, it's my right to vote so I will vote for him."

The secret wife

In the late 1960s, everyone in Narendra Modi's friendship group was being married off by their families.

"So his family got him married, worried that later it would be hard to find a bride," Syamaldas, the man who grew up with the Modi family, says.

Modi, about 18 at the time, sat with his bride Jashodaben and their families in the house for a traditional, religious wedding ceremony.

India's caste system is a complex hierarchy of different groups stemming from their social and economic past.

Jashodaben and Narendra Modi's families came from the same caste, the Gujarati Ghanchis, traditionally vegetable oil producers described as lower-middle class.

As per the Ghanchi caste's traditions, the couple had gone through a ceremony called Shaadi when they were about 12 years old, which meant they were engaged, to be married when they came of age.

But they were initially promised to each other by their parents when they were toddlers, something Modi wasn't told about until later.

While marriage is becoming less conservative in India, at that time most people in Gujarat strictly married within the same caste.

After the marriage, the woman was usually sent to the husband's family home.

The facade of a two-storey concrete home with wooden door, a stair case leading to

In recent years, surveys of Indian households have found the majority of Indians are in arranged marriages, most of them happy.

But Narendra Modi had different feelings about the institution in the 1960s.

"He was completely opposed to marriage," Syamaldas says.

So before the couple could move in together, Modi decided to leave home.

"The family was in a state of mourning, but his mother stood behind him and wanted him to progress. The rest of his family felt really bad," Syamaldas says.

"During that time, he told his wife that this is her house as well and … she is free to live in the house and then he left home."

Until the early 2000s, few people knew about Modi's wife.

As Modi rose through the RSS ranks, he proved his dedication to the association and its cause by showing he had no family ties.

When he started running for elections, first in his home state of Gujarat, he would leave the spouse section blank on forms year after year.

In campaign speeches, he would say he was single.

"Why would I indulge in corruption? For whom? There is no one behind me or in front of me," he said at a 2014 political rally, using a Hindi phrase meaning he has no family.

Narendra Modi, wearing a blue checked waistcoat, smiles while holding a baby on his lap at a desk

While Modi has staked his reputation on putting the public before a family, he takes every opportunity to portray his connection with children.

For some Indian leaders, being single is a selling point. It means they can show their only commitment is to their country.

Mahatma Gandhi took a vow of celibacy, and the current leader of the main opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is also proudly single.

"I'm dedicated to the people of this nation … every moment of my time is for the people of India," Modi said in a speech last year.

It's a popular trope in a society that emphasises devotion, service and duty.

Eventually, journalists started searching for a schoolteacher they heard was secretly married to Modi.

When one reporter eventually found her, she was shocked by how humble Jashodaben's life was.

A woman wearing a red and orange sari holds a tray of food and feeds a cow by hand. She stands infront of a brick wall.

"With her hair tied up in a bun, you could pass her by because she's just like any other woman in any village," says the journalist, who does not want to be named.

"Her house had a tin roof and mud walls, and it was a house that would get very hot in the summers, and she did not have a bathroom."

When news reports about Modi's arranged marriage emerged, he directed focus away from them.

But during his run for prime minister in 2014, he was legally forced to go public about his marriage for the first time in almost 50 years.

In the spouse section of his election nomination, he had to write his wife's name: Jashodaben Modi.

"So it was kind of a victory for us and for her that her name had to be written in that column," the journalist says.

A scanned document shows two pages, including stamps and a photograph of Narendra Modi and a table including his wife's name

It turned into a national scandal. Narendra Modi's brother Sombhai (whose son's engagement the prime minister would go on to miss a decade later) defended him.

He said the marriage was a formality and the couple never consummated it, something Jashodaben Modi also confirmed.

"Narendra's whole life is a life of sacrifice, and we have to accept it. The whole country knows his sacrifice, and the people of the nation know it," he said.

"This event of 40 or 50 years back of a poor family in those circumstances should be seen in that context."

Despite some backlash from opposition parties over his secret marriage and estranged wife, Modi won the 2014 election in a landslide.

Soon after, Jashodaben Modi told Reuters she was surrounded by armed bodyguards every day and she had to cook for them. She has not spoken publicly since.

Now 72, Jashodaben Modi has retired from her job as a schoolteacher.

A woman wearing a yellow sari decoratid with flowers sits on a bench in a small room filled with items.

The Gujarat village where she grew up is made up of a few small streets clustered around a brown, stone, Hindu temple in the middle.

Usually, in small Indian villages, locals are open to giving directions to someone's house, but here they're reluctant.

Some say she's moved to the nearby town. Several people refuse to offer any information on her whereabouts, but one woman finally acknowledges having met her: "She was a nice woman and was helping out at the local hospital."

Jashodaben now lives with her brother. After eventually tracking down his phone number, we give him a call.

He answers but wants to know what we would ask his sister in an interview. She seems to be in the background, listening in on our conversation, but tells him she doesn't want to meet or speak with any journalists.

After her identity was confirmed by Modi, Jashodaben tried to start speaking at public events. She even told a journalist that if the prime minister called to check in, she'd be interested in starting a new life with him.

When it was announced that she would be speaking at an event run by a Modi fan club, the conference was shut down.

When she tried to get a passport, her application was rejected because she couldn't produce a marriage certificate.

"Modi has chosen to cut off that part of his life from public consumption, from public view and he has never, ever acknowledged her other than in that election affidavit," the anonymous journalist says.

"I feel that there's an abandoned woman, and she needs her justice."

Modi's monkhood

In his public life, with no family ties and a sole commitment to his country, Modi has presented himself as God's representative on Earth.

"God has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India. This is a huge responsibility," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter, ahead of a Hindu temple opening in the town of Ayodhya in January.

That narrative harks back to a relatively opaque part of his life story — the years after he left his arranged marriage as a teenager.

Modi says he left for the Himalayas and pursued a monk-like life of renunciation. He had no material possessions and ate only food given to him by strangers.

A young Narendra Modi sits on a door step, smiling while extending a hand out

"There was no comfort in my life. I had a small bag and my whole life was in that bag," he told biographer Andy Marino.

He says he studied the teachings of one of India's most iconic Hindu spiritual leaders, Swami Vivekananda, and went to his ashrams seeking to become a monk.

The story goes that after being turned away twice, at the third ashram a monk told Modi that his destiny lay elsewhere. That's what set him on his path of politics.

"He was advised by the great monk who was there at the time he could reach out to larger masses, so his reach is huge," Swami Shantatmananda, a current monk at one of the Vivekananda ashrams, says.

"He has brought in immeasurable changes, a revolution awakening in the country."

But not everyone is convinced.

"There's just not a lot of contemporary evidence that would suggest that we know exactly what was going on," says Griffith University professor Ian Hall, one of Australia's leading experts on India.

"I don't expect the monastery kept records of that kind of interaction either, so what we're left with is a story that is presented later on by the sympathetic biographers."

Swami Vivekananda introduced Hinduism and yoga to the West in the 1800s.

A monk wearing red robes and orange head covering folds his arms across his chest

He attained enormous influence in India and around the world, in part because of his teachings that anyone of any religion can find God using Hindu philosophy.

The swami, his influence and his teachings have informed Narendra Modi's curated public image since those teenage years. In 2012, he tweeted a quote from the monk every day for a year.

Professor Hall says an affinity with Swami Vivekananda helps Modi attract moderate Indian voters who may be concerned by his connections with the far-right RSS.

"He's setting up an alternative … softer, friendlier, broader kind of figure [with Swami Vivekananda] as his guru and his intellectual inspiration," he says.

"Modi here is reaching for a figure that allows him to then reassure those who are concerned that he's going to be a real hardliner."

The Modi image

Part of the genius of the Modi narrative has been his ability to be many things to many people.

"I've gone backwards and forwards from thinking that Modi was a very hardline Hindu nationalist to thinking that he was somebody who was more of a moderniser," Professor Hall says.

"The reality is that Modi is able to present himself in all of those different avatars at once or to different audiences."

Narendra Modi pictured against a pale blue sky, squinting through his glasses

Modi has been described as a mastermind of image management.

He has managed to escape reputational stain despite the various accusations against him, from targeting religious minorities to democratic backsliding.

He's also widely promoted his successes in developing India and bringing the country to the world stage.

Before the digital age, Modi would personally fax press releases to lists of journalists to ensure his words and deeds attracted fast distribution and positive coverage.

He now runs a slick social media operation in which he controls his own story — he has the largest following of any leader in the world.

But his critics say measures introduced under Modi's leadership have severely undermined press freedoms.

Last year, the Modi government banned a BBC documentary that was critical of the prime minister's role in deadly religious riots that broke out in 2002. Tax authorities searched the broadcaster's bureaus in India the week after the program went to air.

Reporters Without Borders has warned "press freedom is in crisis" in India , noting in its most recent report that an average of three or four journalists are killed in connection with their work in the country every year.

Modi's office has not responded to numerous requests for an interview with the ABC.

"[We've] had a prime minister who's refused to engage with the press," Indian journalist Manisha Pande says.

"You have almost North Korean levels of obedience in major prime-time anchors, major prime-time news."

The prime minister has consistently denied he is threatening democracy. 

"I am not undemocratic. I have met 250 people in Delhi for three hours each of freewheeling discussions," he told newspaper Indian Express in 2019.

"I believe that the thinking of the government as well as the thinking of the people in media should be transparent … whether news gets published is not the only thing in a democracy."

Modi's entire life has centred around being India's leader and many, like Professor Hall, say he'll do anything to hold onto that.

“He's the ultimate power politician — he just wants to stay in power."

Modi will be 73 during the upcoming election.

If he wins, as everyone predicts, it will likely be his final term because of an age limit of 75 years for BJP electoral candidates.

The rest of Modi's story remains undetermined. But rules can change.

"He will not leave the post of prime minister while he's alive," his childhood friend Syamaldas says.

"He is such a powerful person."

The ABC's seven-part podcast series, Looking For Modi , is out today. Listen to the first episode on ABC Listen.

  • Reporting: Avani Dias
  • Photography and video: Som Patidar and Meghna Bali, with additional photography courtesy of AFP, AP, Reuters, Election Commission of India, Thomas Harrison (public domain), and Narendra Modi.
  • Digital production: Lucy Sweeney
  • Podcast production and research:  Madeleine Genner and Yasmin Parry
  • X (formerly Twitter)
  • Foreign Affairs
  • World Politics

modi last visit to usa

Indian police detain dozens of protesters demanding release of top opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal

N EW DELHI (AP) — Indian police detained dozens of opposition protesters Tuesday to stop them from marching to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence to demand the release of their leader and top elected official of New Delhi arrested last week in a bribery case.

Nearly 300 supporters of Arvind Kejriwal gathered at India’s Parliament House to begin their march. Policemen, some in riot gear, surrounded the protesters and detained some.

“Long Live Kejriwal” protesters chanted while being dragged and bundled into buses and driven away by the police. They are likely to be released later in the day.

“This is a dictatorship. If someone is doing good for the public of Delhi, why arrest such a person?” Rubina Parveen, a protester, told The Associated Press. "Our voices are muzzled. The public is very angry ... If a good leader is sent to jail, then what will happen to the common public? she said.

Authorities have since banned the assembly of four or more people in the area that houses almost all key government buildings.

Kejriwal, one of the country’s most consequential politicians of the past decade and a top rival of Modi's, was arrested on March 21. He and his Aaam Admi Party, or Common Man’s Party, are accused of accepting 1 billion rupees ($12 million) in bribes from liquor contractors nearly two years ago.

The party denied the accusations, saying they are fabricated by the federal agency, controlled by Modi’s government.

Kejriwal’s AAP is part of a broad alliance of opposition parties called INDIA , the main challenger to Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming election.

Hundreds of Kejriwal’s supporters have been holding protests since his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, the federal agency that probes economic offenses.

Kejriwal was taken into custody for seven days following a court order on Friday. His party said he would remain Delhi’s chief minister as it takes the case to court.

The federal agency accused Kejriwal of being the “kingpin and key conspirator” in the liquor bribery case. Kejriwal has refuted the allegations and accused the directorate of “manipulating investigative agencies for political motives”.

In the lead-up to the general election , starting April 19 , India’s opposition parties have accused the government of misusing its power to harass and weaken its political opponents, pointing to a spree of raids, arrests and corruption investigations against key opposition figures.

Meanwhile, some probes against former opposition leaders who later defected to Modi’s BJP have been dropped.

BJP denies targeting the opposition and says law enforcement agencies act independently.

Policemen detain a member of Aam Admi Party, or Common Man's Party, during a protest against the arrest of their party leader Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Indian police have detained dozens of opposition protesters and prevented them from marching to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence to demand the release of their leader and top elected official of New Delhi who was arrested last week in a liquor bribery case. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Russia's President Putin attends a meeting with India's Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi

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At least seven people were killed in an Israeli strike on Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon, two security sources told Reuters early on Wednesday.

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Finishes over the past three seasons (three starts):  9th (2022), 2nd (2021) and 32nd (2020)

Odds to win in 2024:  13/5

Mackenzie Hughes

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Finishes over the past three seasons (three starts):  16th (2022), 29th (2021) and 7th (2020)

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Scott Piercy

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Finishes over the past three seasons (three starts):  1st (2022), MC (2021) and 24th (2020)

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Joel Dahmen

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Alex Smalley

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Finishes over the past three seasons (two starts):  9th (2022) and 35th (2021)

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Wyndham Clark

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Finishes over the past three seasons (three starts):  16th (2022), 41st (2021) and MC (2020)

Odds to win in 2024:  12/1

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PM Modi reaches Bhutan on two-day state visit, receives warm welcome by counterpart Tshering Tobgay

Pm modi was earlier scheduled to depart on thursday but the visit was postponed due to adverse weather conditions in the himalayan nation. no agreements or major announcements could be expected during pm modi's visit to thimpu as the model of code conduct is in force ahead of the lok sabha polls..

Ashesh Mallick

PM Modi was accorded a red carpet welcome upon his arrival at the Paro airport. He was warmly received by Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, at Paro airport and accorded a ceremonial welcome. Bhutanese people lined the entire 45-kilometre route from Paro International Airport to Thimphu, which was also decked up with Indian and Bhutanese flags, to greet the Indian PM.

PM Modi was earlier scheduled to depart on Thursday but the visit was postponed due to inclement weather conditions in the Himalayan nation. The Bhutanese prime minister wrote on X in Hindi: "Bhutan mein aapka swagat hai mere bade bhai @narendramodi Ji."

The visit could be dubbed "rare" as there was only one incident when Indian Prime Ministers made any foreign trips after the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates. In 2009, the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had visited the United Kingdom to attend the G20 meeting.

PM Modi tweets

The Prime Minister posted on X that he will participate in various programmes aimed at "further cementing the India-Bhutan partnership".

"On the way to Bhutan, where I will be attending various programmes aimed at further cementing the India-Bhutan partnership. I look forward to talks with Majesty the King of Bhutan, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay @tsheringtobgay," PM Modi posted on X,

PM Modi's schedule

During the visit, PM Modi will receive an audience with Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, and Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan. He will also hold talks with the Prime Minister of Bhutan. The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to "exchange views on bilateral and regional matters of interest and deliberate on ways to expand and intensify our exemplary partnership for the benefit of our peoples", the MEA said in a previous statement.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to receive a grand welcome at the Tashichho Dzong, a traditional Buddhist monastery and the seat of the Bhutanese government. PM Modi will also inaugurate the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu, a state-of-the-art hospital, built with the assistance of the Government of India in Thimphu.

This follows a prior visit by Tobgay to India, wherein both leaders reviewed the progress in various areas of bilateral partnership, including infrastructure development, connectivity, energy, hydropower cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and development cooperation. PM Modi and Tobgay reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the special and unique India-Bhutan friendship. It was during these talks that Tobgay invited his Indian counterpart to Bhutan.

(With PTI inputs)

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IMAGES

  1. Watch: The moment PM Modi arrived at White House on first State visit

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  2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes his maiden US trip on a high

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  3. PM Modi in New York on 2nd leg of US visit, to attend summit on climate

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  4. Highlights of PM Modi's visit to the U.S

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  5. Modi meets eminent Indian Americans during US visit

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  6. PM Modi US Visit 2021: PM Modi holds bilateral talks with US President

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  3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs for US for the historic visit l PMO

  4. Modi speech in USA ft. Fekam faank

COMMENTS

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  5. What to expect from Modi's historic visit to the US

    Among them was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — leading International Yoga Day celebrations as part of his three-day trip to the United States. The Indian leader has visited the US several times since taking office in 2014. But this trip is a rare state visit — the highest diplomatic honor for a foreign leader.

  6. Modi in US: A look back at PM's previous visits to United States

    This is only the third state visit by an Indian leader to the US, the first two coming in June 1963 (President S Radhakrishnan) and November 2009 (PM Manmohan Singh). Prime Minister Narendra Modi ...

  7. Why Biden Is Honoring Modi With a State Visit

    Modi's state visit also poses a strategic challenge to Biden. As a candidate, the U.S. President made defending human rights and democracy a cornerstone of his foreign policy agenda. Critics ...

  8. PM Modi in US LIVE updates: Check here for full details on ...

    PM Modi's visit to the US LIVE Update: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the United States from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Ahead of Modi's expected departure today, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra shared details on the prime minister's itinerary during a special briefing. His agenda includes a series of high-level meetings on defence ...

  9. What to Expect from Narendra Modi's Official U.S. Visit

    June 19, 2023 10:12 PM EDT. O n Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden will meet India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on an official state visit in Washington D.C, which includes a South Lawn ...

  10. What's behind Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit?

    By Brian Osgood. The administration of United States President Joe Biden is scheduled to host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an official visit later this week, as the two countries ...

  11. Modi's Trip to Washington Marks New Heights in U.S.-India Ties

    Against the backdrop of tightening U.S.-India ties, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Washington this week for an official state visit — only the third President Joe Biden has hosted since taking office. The bilateral relationship has soared to new heights in recent years, particularly on economic, technological and defense issues. Underpinning these developments is both sides ...

  12. Why India PM Modi's state visit to US is 'strategically important'

    Nair said he believes the rationale for giving Modi the star treatment during his visit to the United States is "quite clear." "This extra effort is because traditionally India has been wary of ...

  13. PM Modi had a very successful visit to U.S.: Sandhu

    READ LATER. Prime Minister Narendra Modi being received by the Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to USA and T. H. Brian McKeon, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources ...

  14. PM Modi's U.S. visit yields many vital agreements

    PM Modi's U.S. visit yields many vital agreements PM Modi and President Biden announce deals on jet engine tech transfers, drones, health and space cooperation; democracy is in our veins, says ...

  15. Indian Prime Minister Modi to visit the U.S. : NPR

    NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Seema Sirohi - a columnist for The Economic Times - about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US this week. The White House will roll out the ...

  16. 'India is now a linchpin': US looks to Narendra Modi's visit to counter

    Since Modi last visited the US in 2019, when Donald Trump was in the White House, China's actions along its 2,100-mile (3,500km) border with India have become increasingly antagonistic.

  17. Key takeaways from PM Modi's U.S. Visit

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 3-day state visit to the US has had a significant impact on India's global standing. It highlights the country's dual identity as a spiritual democracy and an economic power. The visit showcased India's cultural heritage, diplomatic prowess, and its growing influence on the world stage.

  18. FACT SHEET: Republic of India Official State Visit to the United States

    Indian students are on pace to become the largest foreign student community in the United States, with a 20 percent increase last year alone. India and the United States have launched a new Joint ...

  19. India-USA Joint Statement during the Official State visit of Prime

    India-USA Joint Statement during the Official State visit of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to USA June 23, 2023 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President H.E. Mr Joe Biden today affirmed a vision of the India and United States as among the closest partners in the world - a partnership of democracies looking into the 21st century ...

  20. List of international prime ministerial trips made by Narendra Modi

    Modi arrived for a two-day visit to Nepal on 3 August. The last visit of an Indian prime minister to Nepal was 17 years ago in 1997 by Inder Kumar Gujral. The talks with Nepal were focused on reviewing the 1950s Treaty of Peace and Friendship, India-funded hydroelectricity projects in Nepal and other infrastructure projects in Nepal.

  21. Indian opposition supporters detained ahead of protest at Modi's home

    Police in the Indian capital detained dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday as they attempted to march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to protest against last week's arrest of ...

  22. Narendra Modi is asking India to extend his term as one of the most

    Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but much of his life is shrouded in mystery. These hidden chapters tell the true story. The Modi family gathered on the lawn of the ...

  23. Indian police detain dozens of protesters demanding release of top

    NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police detained dozens of opposition protesters Tuesday to stop them from marching to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to demand the release of their leader and ...

  24. Israel cancels Washington visit after US allows UN Gaza ceasefire ...

    Tensions between the US and Israel were exposed on Monday when Washington stood aside and allowed the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

  25. Kremlin says India's Modi has open invitation to visit Russia

    The Kremlin said on Thursday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an open invitation to visit Russia and that a meeting with President Vladimir Putin would take place, though details were ...

  26. Texas Children's Houston Open PGA Tour course history ...

    Scottie Scheffler of the United States follows his shot from the 11th tee during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass on March 17, 2024 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Finishes over the past three seasons (three starts): 9th (2022), 2nd (2021) and 32nd (2020) Odds to win in 2024: 13/5.

  27. PM Modi embarks on two-day state visit to Bhutan

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (March 22) embarked on a two-day state visit to Bhutan. He is scheduled to return on Saturday. The Prime Minister's visit is part of the Indian government ...