modi visit to washington dc 2023

Modi State Visit Modi Promotes India to Congress After Meeting With Biden

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized his country’s development and played up what he described as commonalities with the U.S. Earlier, he ducked a question about his government’s treatment of minorities.

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Modi Praises ‘Limitless’ Potential of U.S.-India Partnership

In a speech to congress, prime minister narendra modi of india promoted his nation’s development and said the relationship between his country and the united states was important for democracy’s future..

The U.S. is the oldest — and India, the largest — democracy. Our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy. [cheers] Together, we shall give a better future to the world and a better world to the future. Everyone wants to understand India’s development, democracy and diversity. Everyone wants to know what India is doing right and how. We are not only growing bigger, but we are also growing faster. When India grows, the whole world grows. I can go on and go on. But to summarize I would say: The scope of our cooperation is endless, the potential of our synergy is limitless and the chemistry of our relations is effortless.

Peter Baker

Biden welcomes India’s prime minister despite concerns over human rights.

President Biden emphasized common ground with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Thursday during a lavish state visit meant to bolster ties with the world’s most populous nation, while largely skirting points of friction over human rights and Russia’s war in Ukraine, at least in public.

After a pomp-filled, red-carpet arrival ceremony, Mr. Biden and Mr. Modi announced a range of initiatives to advance cooperation in technology, energy and military hardware but revealed no movement toward each other on the areas of disagreement that have strained the relationship in recent months, most especially Ukraine.

In a modest but notable breakthrough, however, Mr. Biden coaxed Mr. Modi into taking questions from reporters at a news conference, apparently the first time he has done so in his nearly decade-long tenure .

Here’s what else to know:

Challenged on his record on human rights and religious freedom, Mr. Modi insisted that democracy was “in India’s DNA” and denied that his government had engaged in discrimination based on race, faith or other such distinctions. Mr. Modi’s government has cracked down on dissent and hounded opponents in a way that has raised fears of an authoritarian turn not seen since India’s slip into dictatorship in the 1970s. In hosting Mr. Modi, Mr. Biden is pushing democracy concerns to the background .

The United States is trying to draw India closer , as the urgency for improved relations has intensified with Russia’s war on Ukraine. India 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.

Mr. Modi gave an address to a joint session of Congress where he promoted his country’s development and played up what he described as common themes with the United States.

The two leaders announced initiatives advancing cooperation on telecommunications, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and other areas. Mr. Modi agreed to sign the Artemis Accords — principles governing peaceful exploration of the moon, Mars and other celestial bodies — and they will announce a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. The United States and India also will open additional consulates in each other’s country.

Tonight, the Bidens will host Mr. Modi for a state dinner on the South Lawn. The vegetarian menu — in accordance with Mr. Modi’s diet — includes an optional fish entree. The first course will be a marinated millet and grilled corn kernel salad with compressed watermelon and avocado sauce, followed by a main course of stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy saffron-infused risotto.

Suhasini Raj

Indian television heaps praise on Modi during his trip.

“Super King of Diplomacy,” read the ticker placed in bold on top of one news channel. “Long live our friendship,” said another. A third declared, “The Boss in America.”

Mainstream Indian news channels — in Hindi, English and some regional languages — covered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reception in Washington with adulation, praising his diplomatic skills for millions of viewers before a crucial election year for him.

The visuals from Washington played into what Mr. Modi has already set as one of his main campaign themes: tying India’s rise as a major economic power with his rise as a global statesman.

“The scale, the splendor, the warmth,” one headline enthused. Others, such as “Modi’s breakthrough diplomacy” and “Watch history being made,” flooded Indians’ homes Thursday evening as Mr. Modi walked the red carpet to meet President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden.

“Their body language reflected that they were incomplete without one another,” one news anchor said as visuals of the two leaders shaking hands played on the screen.

Mr. Modi has carefully crafted his relationship with traditional news outlets, using a mix of incentives and pressure tactics to get most of them on his side.

When uncomfortable issues arise — a state election loss, an ethnic war resulting in weeks of unrest and bloodshed in a northeastern state, a deadly three-way train crash — they are quick to deflect blame away from Mr. Modi.

And when a major moment like the state visit to Washington comes, they are happy to join in the cheerleading — a factor that, combined with how Mr. Modi’s party has mastered social media to take his messages viral, helps explain Mr. Modi’s talent for shaping politics to his benefit.

The coverage of Mr. Modi’s visit to the United States is a political boon, setting the agenda in his favor before he launches himself full-time into campaign mode for parliamentary elections next year.

While many channels showed the White House dinner menu ad nauseam, calling it “dinner for friendship,” some others waxed eloquent about the importance of the gifts Mr. Modi had carried for the Bidens. One anchor declared of a military deal between the two countries: “The biggest defense deal. The hearts of enemies will burn!”

And when, at his news conference with Mr. Biden, Mr. Modi skirted a question on India’s grim human rights record and suppression of free speech, one Hindi-language news anchor came to his rescue on her show, saying he had “very bravely” faced the question.

Lisa Friedman

The U.S. and India agree to speed deployment of electric buses.

The United States and India have long been at odds over the responsibility of different countries in tackling climate change. But as Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up a visit to Washington, he and President Biden cast their nations as partners in the fight.

As Mr. Biden declared climate change an “existential threat to humanity” during a joint news conference on Thursday, Mr. Modi pledged that India was working to become a green energy hub. Both governments also announced plans to help India increase the production of electric vehicles and meet its ambitious goal of installing 500 gigawatts of wind, solar and other renewable energy this decade.

The Biden administration did not announce any direct U.S. funding for India. But senior administration officials said the governments had agreed on a plan they believed would encourage banks to give loans for electric buses, which are seen as a high-risk investment in India.

India aims to deploy 50,000 public electric buses over the next five years. The plan includes establishing three months of delayed payments so that companies can secure loans at lower rates. Biden administration officials said the payment security plan will help underwrite at least 10,000 electric buses.

The United States and India also announced a separate investment plan that officials said will be joined by private companies and others that aims to lower the cost of capital and attract international private finance for large-scale renewable energy projects. The joint announcement billed it a “first of its kind, multibillion dollar” package but no specific dollar figure from the United States or any other country or organization was announced.

Katie Rogers

Guests just started arriving at the White House for the state dinner. Some of the more notable names include Huma Abedin, a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton; the designer Reem Acra; Apple’s Tim Cook; Hunter and Ashley Biden; and the president’s brother, James.

Alex Travelli and Mujib Mashal

Reporting from New Delhi

One accomplishment of Modi’s visit? Greater defense cooperation between India and the U.S.

One of the biggest takeaways from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit might be that it has injected new momentum into defense cooperation between the United States and India, a slow and turbulent undertaking in the past.

The two sides announced a deal for coproduction in India of engines for fighter aircraft, a $3 billion purchase of about 30 American Reaper drones by India, and a road map to expand cooperation between the two countries’ defense industries. There were also agreements on intelligence sharing and on space-based, quantum and other strategic technologies.

For the Biden administration, helping India expand its defense manufacturing tracks with its efforts to further isolate Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine . India has long relied on Russia for a majority of its military equipment, and any increase in manufacturing capability at home or diversification of its arms sources would lessen its purchases from Russia.

For India, the United States’ latest efforts to improve defense ties is in line with its attempt to grow its domestic manufacturing and reduce its reliance on foreign partners.

India’s military forces have stuck to most of the same weapons systems that they began using during the Cold War. India was neutral but tended to side more closely with the Soviet Union. Indian officials have said their dependence on Russian weapons over the decades was simply out of necessity: The U.S. long held back on sales of military equipment to India, and that has only started to change over the past two decades. As a result, the Indian armed forces still use equipment of Soviet design and specifications. Parts cannot be swapped out, piecemeal, for American-standard weaponry. In some rare cases, as with India’s use of Lockheed’s C-130 Hercules transport plane, a stand-alone American platform can be soldered onto the existing framework. But for the most part, the systems are not interoperable.

Technical challenges aside, one thing that the defense road map seems to be addressing is the reluctance that has kept the world’s biggest two democracies from seeing eye-to-eye. They have a long history of disagreement, over matters including Pakistan, Iraq and United Nations votes. But tensions with China are bringing them to the same table, especially after Indian and Chinese troops started clashing along their Himalayan border in 2020.

Australia and Japan, the other members of the fledgling security bloc aimed at containing China around the “Indo-Pacific region” (as the Americans renamed it, to include the Indian Ocean, in 2018), have long-established military partnerships and even alliances with the United States.

The “ Roadmap for U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation ,” published earlier this month, illustrates the American goal of making India into something more like a formidable ally — and the Indian goal of beefing up its own capabilities. They find common cause in trying to “cooperatively produce the systems required to meet India’s military modernization objectives.”

But India’s ties with Russia are deep and cannot be undone quickly or with good will alone. Ajai Shukla, a retired colonel with the Indian Army who writes extensively about defense, is skeptical that America will find any durable role to play. He recalls how Alexander Kadakin, a Russian ambassador to India, liked to tell the story about visiting the Indian space centers and feeling more at home there than he did in Russia — because so many of the scientists were speaking Russian.

Karoun Demirjian

Modi waves to crowd in the third floor gallery, who stuck around to cheer him as he slowly makes his way toward the exit. Emphasis on slowly. He stopped for more autographs and pictures on the way out.

He texted from the speech to say that he “appreciated PM Modi’s unequivocal statement that India must be home to all faiths and celebrate all of them.” But he added that “American leaders need to also have the difficult conversations with Indian leaders about protecting minority rights, an open press and open internet.”

At the White House, some 400 guests are going to pass by reporters to attend the dinner. One of the guests is Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, who played a part in inviting Modi to give an address to Congress.

Here’s why Modi and many other Indian politicians stay single.

When President Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, take their place on the red carpet at the White House on Thursday to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, there will be an asymmetry of sorts in the picture-perfect setting.

Mr. Modi will go stag.

While a family-centric image is often a political selling point in the United States, in India, many top leaders — the prime minister among them — are proudly unattached, to make a statement that no other commitment can come between them and the nation.

Work-life balance? Not for politicians in the world’s largest democracy, who stay busy attending to the needs of 1.4 billion people and compete with one another in their declarations of sleep deprivation. (Mr. Modi clocks only four hours of slumber a night, his aides say.)

“Every moment of my time, every pore of my body, is only for my countrymen,” the prime minister said in 2019 after winning re-election .

India may seem a strange place for expressions of solitary political devotion. Here, family comes before self and arranged marriages keep families together. Nearly a third of new members of Parliament have had a relative in elected office or a prominent party position, according to one study .

But in a country tired of official corruption, with lawmakers enriching themselves and their families and ensuring political futures for their children, many voters have come to believe that single politicians are less likely to steal.

“The very strong perception,” said Ajoy Bose, a journalist and author, “is that they have no personal interest. That they belong to the people.”

Modi is sticking around in the well of the chamber to shake hands and sign autographs after the speech. In the gaggle of lawmakers around him are Representatives Shri Thanedar, Democrat of Michigan who was born in India; Mike Lawler, Republican of New York; Brad Sherman, Democrat of California; and Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina. Modi seems to be enjoying the attention and is not in a rush to leave the chamber -- though his security detail is trying to gently nudge him out.

As Modi makes his way out of the House chamber, he is stopped by members asking him to autograph their printed copies of his remarks.

Alex Travelli

India’s economy is already a star, but Modi wants the attention of American businesses and investors.

NEW DELHI — The state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India is full of eye-catching moments — practicing yoga outside the United Nations building in New York and addressing a joint session of Congress — that seem designed to burnish both India’s image on the world stage and his own image at home.

Apart from impressing voters back home and his fellow statesmen, Mr. Modi is hoping to get the attention of American businesses and investors.

India’s expanding economy is already in some ways a star. It displaced Britain as the world’s fifth biggest economy last year, and is on track to outpace both Germany and Japan in the decade ahead. The value of the companies listed on its stock markets are worth $3.3 trillion, more than ever before, and Mr. Modi’s government has tackled some challenges that have long stymied Indian growth, including rickety infrastructure and banks burdened with bad loans.

Foreign investors have taken notice, especially with much of the world’s economy looking shaky. A string of high-tech, high-value companies have flocked to India this year, with Apple and possibly Tesla making it known that they see a big future here.

But there are ominous signs, too. While foreign investment has been pouring in and the government has spent heavily on roads, energy and other public goods, private Indian investment has shrunk in proportion to the whole. And the incomes of average Indians have hardly budged in recent years, with most of the country still dependent on farming and many others working in jobs that barely keep them fed.

Indian and American policymakers and businessmen have been trying to devise ways that the United States could help India meet the moment — through a combination of trade, technology transfer, labor mobility and integration with global supply chains.

India’s trade with the United States is worth about $190 billion now, Atul Keshap, a former American ambassador to New Delhi who is president of the U.S.-India Business Council, said in an online discussion this week. It should soon be worth $500 billion, he argued, on par with the size of the U.S. trade relationships with only a few others: Canada, Mexico, the European Union and China.

The relationship could be boosted by the two countries’ altered relationships with China, not only in geopolitics, but also in civilian business and trade. American companies and political leaders are eyeing India — with its 1.4 billion people, same as China — as the sole country fit to shoulder some of the immense weight that China has carried in the world economy. “It’s a lot easier to invest $100 million in a country with 1.4 billion people than in a country with 40 million people,” said Cate Ambrose, chief executive of the Global Private Capital Association, an industry group focused on emerging markets.

With much of the world’s economy hindered by the war in Ukraine, inflation and other headwinds, the Indian economy’s power increasingly stands out. This week, Airbus, a European airplane-maker, signed deal to sell 500 aircraft to IndiGo, a low-cost Indian carrier founded in 2006. It is the kind of contract that American leaders dream of winning for the U.S. airplane giant Boeing.

Indians’ median incomes may be stagnant, even as gains made by wealthier people have brought the per capita income up to $1,200 a year. But the room for growth makes the country attractive as a consumer market. Last year, for example, 123 million passengers flew between India’s airports. The government’s goal is to reach 1 billion by 2040.

A new emphasis in the U.S.-India relationship is high-value manufacturing, and an initiative on emerging technologies has brought together government agencies from both countries to speed up cooperation on microchips, satellites and artificial intelligence. The White House argues that these projects, which sidestep bilateral trade negotiations, should help foster “resilient supply chains” for both countries.

Damien Cave

One of the things that makes Modi an interesting kind of popular leader in our current global moment might be his optimistic tone. He speaks of positive momentum, success and destiny more than flaws and enemies.

Mujib Mashal

As we wrote in our recent story about his role as a radio host, Modi has many avatars for keeping himself intimately omnipresent across India’s vastness — including that of a poet. He has written poetry in Gujarati, though he was reading a Hindi poem just now.

Congressional addresses often end with poetic language, but not usually poetry. After quoting the poem Amanda Gorman read at President Biden’s inauguration, Modi recited lines in Hindi that he penned himself.

On China, Modi has always been careful to avoid escalating tensions. When tensions at the India-China border escalated to bloody skirmishes, American diplomats were saying Modi’s government was not comfortable with U.S. officials mentioning China by name in statements made out of New Delhi.

A policy proposal from Modi, as he calls for the African Union to get full membership in the G20. (The speech so far has been big on promoting accomplishments but light on articulating demands for change.)

As Peter notes, the omissions of the words “Russia” and “China” show how carefully Modi is choosing his words as he supports the spirit of the U.S. position, while clearly signaling that India is not going to take a side in these geopolitical rivalries.

The technology transfer piece of the defense deal reflects not just improved U.S.-India ties, but also a major shift in how the United States works with allies in the Indo-Pacific. Australia is getting nuclear-powered subs from America. Japan is buying American Tomahawk missiles. It’s all part of a broader effort to balance China’s military growth.

U.S.-India defense relations have had to overcome a history of deep mistrust rooted in both bureaucracies. But it feels like the countries are turning a new page. The American defense secretary and national security adviser were both in New Delhi in the weeks before Modi’s visit to Washington.

India’s ties to Russia stretch decades, and India still relies on Russia for a majority of its military equipment. So India has been careful in calling for peace and dialogue while staying away from condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

In discussing Ukraine, Modi calls for respecting U.N. principles of sovereignty, earning a standing ovation. He also said “we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering.” However, India continues to buy a lot of oil from Russia, engaging in a practice that the United States argues fuels the Russian war machine.

Likewise, when he discusses “the dark clouds of coercion and confrontation” that are “casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific,” he leaves unstated who might be doing the coercing and confronting, never mentioning the word “China.”

When Modi mentions Ukraine, he shifts to passive construction. “With the Ukraine conflict, war has returned to Europe,” he said, without mentioning the word “Russia.”

Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Reporting from Washington

State Dinners: Who Gets Them, Who Doesn’t and Why They Matter

As President Biden welcomed India’s prime minister to the White House , the two leaders were looking for more than a fine vegetarian meal and a night of glitzy entertainment.

Under the guise of pomp and pageantry, state visits are a chance for presidents to push foreign dignitaries to align with American interests. They can be a way to celebrate old, ironclad alliances . And with high-profile guest lists , multicourse meals and top-flight entertainment, they are much-coveted invites in Washington .

“These are not just dinners,” said Matthew Costello, a senior historian for the White House Historical Association. “There’s a lot more that goes into them in terms of planning, in terms of invitations, and a lot is geopolitics, a lot is foreign policy.”

When President Dwight D. Eisenhower invited Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, to the White House in 1959, he was focused on thawing Cold War tensions after the launch of Sputnik. Before President Barack Obama hosted President Xi Jinping of China, the two countries negotiated for weeks over an arms control accord for cyberspace. President Ulysses S. Grant held the first state dinner for King David Kalakaua of Hawaii to strengthen trade.

The dinners can also provide a window into the regions the United States is prioritizing — and the ones being neglected.

European and Latin American nations have received the most state dinner invitations, while sub-Saharan African and Southeast Asian nations have received the fewest, according to a study by the Center for Global Development that tracked 40 years of state visits from the Carter to Obama administrations.

Out of 160 dinners, just 15 were with guests from sub-Saharan Africa, the study found.

“To be a foreign leader and not get the state dinner, you feel snubbed,” said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian. “It’s often the smaller countries in the world who don’t get them, but when you’re dealing with big power players like India, it’s a must.”

The invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India was not without controversy. Mr. Biden has made the global struggle between democracy and autocracy a key part of his foreign policy, but Mr. Modi’s government has cracked down on dissent in ways that have raised fears of authoritarianism.

Still, the White House views the world’s most populous nation as a potentially welcome addition to its coalition against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as a crucial player in its growing economic competition with China.

The other nations whose leaders received the official invitation to dine with Mr. Biden — France and South Korea — have also been partners in Mr. Biden’s effort to confront Russia.

The state dinner can sometimes be a means of smoothing over hiccups among allies.

Mr. Biden hosted President Emmanuel Macron of France for the first state visit of his administration, more than a year after the two nations feuded over a deal to provide Australians with nuclear-powered submarines. Mr. Biden invited Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, for a state visit after he canceled a trip there in May because of negotiations over the debt ceiling with congressional Republicans.

“There are multiple times we see presidents using these visits to not just describe immediate concerns, but also to talk through short-term and long-term solutions,” Mr. Costello said.

Domestic politics often hang over the dinner, as well.

Julianna Smoot, Mr. Obama’s social secretary from 2010 to 2011, said she made sure to invite the often-feuding majority and minority leaders of the Senate, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, to state dinners for a rare détente. Governors and mayors who had previously expressed support or campaigned for the president were likely to make the list. And the primary donors of presidential campaigns could expect an invitation, particularly if they had business connections to the visiting nation.

“They didn’t become donors in politics because they were slouches,” Ms. Smoot said. “A lot of them do international work and have an interest” in attending the dinner.

The prospect of strengthening political partnerships overseas and within U.S. borders was usually enough to get a quick response from invitees.

“You’re supposed to say yes,” Ms. Smoot said of responding to the invitations, “unless there’s a death in the family.”

Cheers and laughs for Modi’s hat tip to how well Indian American kids have done in successive national spelling bees.

Mentioning that the United States “has become one of our most important defense partners” gets a standing ovation. Not mentioned: India still buys weapons from Russia.

Liberal Democrats boycott Modi’s speech to Congress.

A half-dozen liberal House Democrats are boycotting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech to Congress on Thursday afternoon, in protest of what they criticize as his abysmal human rights record, particularly toward Muslim minority groups in India.

Four of the protesting members released a statement Thursday condemning the address as “an embarrassing spectacle,” arguing that by giving Mr. Modi such a rare platform, “Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world.”

“We must never sacrifice human rights at the altar of political expediency,” Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Cori Bush of Missouri, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Jamaal Bowman of New York wrote in the joint statement. They called on other members of Congress to join their protest and “stand in solidarity with the communities that have been harmed by Modi and his policies.”

But while other lawmakers have acknowledged and even criticized Mr. Modi for promoting antidemocratic and Hindu nationalist policies, and criticized him for failing to condemn violent assaults against minority groups, they have recoiled at the idea of boycotting a visit from such an economically and strategically important U.S. ally.

“We need to engage,” said Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, a member of Indian descent who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on India, arguing that India’s government leaders are “not going to be open and receptive to something that comes off as the West lecturing.”

“I think they’d be much more open to a dialogue as equals about the project of multiracial democracy,” he said.

The Biden administration has been pursuing closer ties with India, particularly as the United States’ standoffs with Russia and China intensify. India’s large economy and population make it an enticing partner for the United States, particularly as Washington tries to reduce its economic reliance on Beijing, and there is a concerted effort to woo New Delhi away from Russia, from which it continues to purchase weapons and oil , in order to help undermine Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

But the protesting lawmakers objected viscerally to the geopolitical justifications for Mr. Modi’s address. Pointing out that Mr. Modi once failed to get a U.S. visa because of his participation in deadly religious riots, they argued he should not be rewarded years later with a diplomatic red carpet.

“A joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honors the United States Congress can extend,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Democrat of New York, who is also boycotting Mr. Modi’s speech, wrote in a statement that she tweeted out Wednesday evening. “We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records — particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities.”

Sarah Maslin Nir

Indian Americans are divided over Modi’s visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India stressed inclusivity when he appeared before a yoga class on the lawn of the United Nations in Manhattan on Wednesday, trumpeting the Hindu discipline as an act of “unity.”

But Indian Americans appeared deeply divided about Mr. Modi’s visit.

“To host him for a state dinner and give a semblance of the two democracies — the world’s largest and the world’s oldest — of everything being well and good in both democracies, that is a charade,” said Sunita Viswanath, the executive director for Hindus for Human Rights, an organization founded as a resistance effort to Mr. Modi’s policies.

She spoke while standing in front of the White House at a protest on Thursday, urging President Biden to call out India’s anti-democratic shift, even while he woos its leader.

“If we are friends, the best kind of friend we can be is one that asks difficult questions — and tells the truth,” Ms. Viswanath said while holding a sign that said “real Hindus don’t lynch,” a reference to mob violence against Muslims in India that has surged under Mr. Modi’s regime.

Still others welcomed Mr. Modi’s visit to the United States — some literally: On Tuesday the mayor of Edison, N.J., Sam Joshi, greeted the prime minister personally at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, part of an official welcoming delegation, and later did yoga with him.

In Manhattan, where the yoga session was held, several trucks emblazoned with questions about his human rights records and the hashtag #CrimeMinsterOfIndia drove through Times Square.

Images of the Modi truck at large. pic.twitter.com/q8QEOZZtNj — Aatish Taseer (@AatishTaseer) June 21, 2023

In an interview, Mr. Joshi focused on the bridge-building possibilities of the visit, which the mayor, who is of South Asian descent, said he was asked to join by the president.

“I know that this is a step toward the U.S. and India moving in a better direction,” he said on Thursday from Washington, where he was attending Mr. Modi’s congressional address. “That is the reason why I am here.”

A handful of members of Congress, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York City, pledged to boycott the prime minister’s address to Congress, citing Mr. Modi’s troubled record on religious and press freedom.

“I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement.

In New York City, three elected officials of South Asian decent called upon their colleagues to denounce the visit to the city.

“Modi is reshaping the nation from a secular democracy into a right-wing Hindu nationalist state,” New York City Council members Shekar Krishnan and Shahana Hanif and New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani wrote in joint statement. “Prime Minister Modi’s oppressive and unjust policies run counter to all of the values that New York City holds dear.”

On Friday, Mr. Modi’s itinerary called for him to speak to about 1,100 Indian Americans in Washington. “There are a large portion of us from all over U.S.A. who wanted to see him on this tour,” said Amitabh V.W. Mittal, the general secretary of the United States Indian Community Foundation, a nonpartisan organization created for the purpose of hosting the diaspora event.

Mr. Mittal dismissed criticism of the prime minister’s policies as unfair. Mr. Modi, he said, has championed innovation in the tech sector, added jobs and pushed to modernize the country’s infrastructure for all Indians regardless of sect.

Mr. Mittal said he welcomed other opinions, and that people of different faiths would be at the event his group was hosting. “Every good leader has good opposition,” Mr. Mittal said. “If he doesn’t have good opposition, that’s not good for democracy.”

What to know about the state of India’s democracy.

As President Biden rolls out the red carpet for Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, he is embracing a country that is coming into its own on the global stage.

India is the world’s most populous nation, finally emerging from the shadows of its colonial past and the immediate burden of combating hunger and disease, and is now also the fifth-largest economy. It has a young work force, a strong tech industry, a growing consumer market and barely scratched potential as a manufacturing hub.

But all the talk of India’s rise masks a backsliding of its democratic traditions.

Expert opinion on the health of India’s democracy falls on a wide spectrum between outright alarm at an authoritarian turn, and belief that the concern is exaggerated given that India has pulled through such stresses on its constitutional democracy before.

Some democracy watchdogs have expressed worry. The way Mr. Modi has cracked down on dissent and free speech, and hounded his opponents, is often seen as comparable only to the 1970s Emergency, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi suspended democracy. India tops the global list of internet shutdowns. Opposition leaders are frequently raided by investigating agencies and bogged down in court cases.

Other experts, while acknowledging concerns, have said the cause for alarm is overstated. Rahul Verma, a fellow at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, argued in an academic article that India under Mr. Modi was a paradox of sorts, with “democratic erosion in certain areas such as civil liberties and protection of minorities, but deepening of democratic norms in many other areas.” For example, more people — particularly women — are voting and running for office.

What sets apart Mr. Modi’s systematic consolidation of power, much of it achieved not through dramatic power grabs but through more subtle and lasting means, is that it is entrenching Hindu supremacy in India’s constitutionally secular democracy.

Mr. Modi’s outsize influence over the arms of state has created widespread impunity for his right-wing vigilante supporters, who are doing the ground work of turning India into a Hindu-first nation. There is a perpetual sense of combustibility, with the country’s religious minority of more than 200 million non-Hindus, most of them Muslims, often at the receiving end.

Large-scale riots with mass casualties have become rarer than in the recent past, but hate is more easily spread through social media, where Mr. Modi’s party and support base have a dominant presence. Emboldened vigilantes have attacked mosques and churches, hounded interfaith couples and lynched men accused of transporting beef, and viral videos of the violence on social media have created a suffocating constancy to the tension.

When clashes happen, the state often doles out justice in a partisan manner. Police officers are often restrained in their actions against Hindu vigilantes. But the authorities — trailed by news cameras — are increasingly quick to exert swift, collective and extrajudicial punishment , particularly in the form of bulldozing homes, when the perpetrator of a crime is Muslim.

Happymon Jacob, who teaches foreign policy at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University, said India had reacted angrily when the United States had raised human rights concerns, “sending a message to the U.S. that it needs to choose between preaching to India or engaging India.”

“I think the U.S. has realized that it would be sacrificing the geopolitical utility of the Indo-U.S. relationship if it decides to castigate India on human rights issues,” he said.

Karan Deep Singh contributed reporting.

A scorecard for Narendra Modi’s India.

After nearly a decade in power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings to Washington a record that has prompted pride and outrage.

Among fans, he is beloved for overseeing record growth, building roads and airports, and expanding access to sanitation, clean water , cooking fuel and digital payment systems. Critics, however, say Mr. Modi and his party have unleashed a dangerous wave of Hindu nationalism, muzzling critics and encouraging violent discrimination against minorities.

Mr. Modi’s supporters and detractors have ample evidence to back up their assessments. And, as is often the case with India, which now has the world’s largest population , a lot can be understood through numbers.

10 to 5: Under the Modi government, India has moved up five places in the global economic rankings, becoming the fifth largest economy in the world. It is projected to have the fastest growth of any major economy this year, continuing a trend that began under Mr. Modi’s predecessor.

74 to 148 : In nine years, according to the government, the number of airports in India has doubled.

382 to 693: The number of medical colleges in India has also soared. In February, the government said its universities could seat nearly 100,000 medical students each year, up from around 50,000 in 2014.

117.2 million : That would be the number of toilets that Mr. Modi says his government has installed under a program for rural sanitation.

8 billion: The transactions that took place on India’s new digital payments system in January alone. The rapid growth of the program , which began under Mr. Modi’s predecessor, has relied in large part on the government’s push to give every citizen a unique identification number, called the Aadhaar, which allows for payments small and large.

4: Governments run by Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in four Indian states demolished dozens of properties belonging to Muslims after a series of protests last year. Mr. Modi, who started working with the B.J.P. in the 1970s, has done little if anything to discourage such efforts — or violence against Muslims by Hindu nationalists, or widespread anti-Muslim bias in India’s police forces. An independent study from 2019 found that one in two police officers felt that Muslims were “naturally prone” to crime.

2 million: In the state of Assam in northern India in 2019, two million people were told that they were considered stateless after a mass citizenship check . New York Times reporters interviewed several members of the tribunal making the decisions, and they said they had felt pressured by the government to declare Muslims to be noncitizens.

35: In August 2019, the Modi government stripped constitutional autonomy from India’s only Muslim-majority state, Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, according to Human Rights Watch, at least 35 journalists in Kashmir have faced police interrogation, raids, threats, assault, restrictions on movement, or fabricated criminal cases for their reporting.

84: India shut down the internet at least 84 times in 2022, the highest number of any country for the fifth consecutive year. In many cases, the blackouts were targeted to locations with ethnic or religious violence that might undermine the image of a peaceful, prosperous India that Mr. Modi promotes — at home, and now in Washington.

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Modi’s welcome in Washington wows and worries Indians back home

NEW DELHI — As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington this week, newspaper front pages here in India were awash with banner headlines about a new “dawn” in the country’s relations with the United States.

“Deals closed, doors open,” read the Friday headline of the Indian Express, an English-language daily. The ANI news agency showed members of Congress lining up for Modi’s autograph. Television channels counted the number of standing ovations he received during his address to Congress and repeatedly referred to Modi as “the boss” — a nickname conferred on him by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last month.

It was a “rock-star reception,” tweeted Amit Malviya, head of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s information technology office.

For Indian Americans, Modi visit sparks pride — and frustration

The celebrity welcome for Modi this week in Washington gave the prime minister yet another chance to use the world stage as a venue to bolster his image at home. Throughout Modi’s tenure, local media in India have featured his hugs and greetings with world leaders. This time, the fanfare over his reception abroad comes just a year before India’s national elections.

“No other leader is welcomed in the U.S. the way Modi was. It makes our chests swell with pride,” said Rohit Singla, a 31-year-old cloth merchant from Ludhiana in Punjab state, who rattled off the visit’s numerous highlights from Elon Musk’s praise for Modi to the newly signed bilateral arms deals.

“This is the magic of Modi … He is undoubtedly a global leader now,” Singla said, adding that he believes the visit will lead to more jobs in India. “He went there and got business done.”

In Modi’s home state of Gujarat, 37-year-old Pulkit Goenka, a textile businessman, said India could now become a “superpower” with American technological help and that Modi has helped turn the Indian rupee into a “global currency.”

“He is the most recognizable and popular face in the world,” Goenka said. “We all know how the U.S. saw India a decade back. Now, because of Modi, it’s different.”

As Modi visits, Biden praises India’s democracy despite critics

Political experts say the portraits of Modi in Washington and the surrounding events will undoubtedly play a large role in the upcoming election. Fifteen parties that will challenge the BJP in the upcoming elections held a meeting Friday in an effort to display a united front.

But it was no match for the airtime or front page space given to the Modi visit.

“Why is a country like America, which has always considered itself the boss, letting India be the boss?” one anchor asked , before presenting reports of inflation and homelessness in the United States.

“A large section of the cable news in India is like Fox News on Red Bull when it comes to drumming up the cult of Modi,” said Manisha Pande, managing editor of Newslaundry, a media watchdog.

“Remember, this messaging is a key component of the BJP’s election strategy — so, in effect, the visit is not just about a historic juncture for U.S.-India ties, which it very well is, but crucially it’s also about the Biden administration giving Modi a big leg-up for the upcoming 2024 elections,” Pande said.

It was Modi’s successful election campaign in 2019 that first showed his ability to use the world stage to win votes, said Rahul Verma, a political scientist at the Center for Policy Research.

“Trust in Modi wasn’t coming from concrete things like economic well-being, or things you can measure,” Verma said, citing a Firstpost-IPSOS survey in January 2019. “Trust has come from more abstract notions like Modi improving India’s image in the world or national security — things you can’t experience in your daily life.”

Modi has also sought to make use of the enormous Indian diaspora outside the country to shape his public image, Verma added. India’s main opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, also tried to tap into the diaspora during a recent U.S. tour, warning about India’s democratic backsliding, but with much less fanfare.

“The diaspora is important in Indian politics, and Modi was perhaps ahead of the curve,” said Verma. The 32 million people of Indian origin outside of the country play a key role in shaping internal narratives through information channels such as WhatsApp, he said.

Modi’s White House visit tests Biden’s democracy-vs.-autocracy pitch

But there has also been criticism of the prime minister’s trip to Washington. Chetan Thirthahalli, a 43-year-old writer from Bangalore, said the trip will do nothing to address the country’s severe labor crisis and other pressing issues.

“Modi is on a jolly trip,” Thirthahalli said, at a time when there is ethnic violence in northeastern India, lynchings of religious minorities, and attacks against lower caste Hindus. “Modi should be in India to fix these things first rather than being away all the time. Everybody knows how bad things are in India while he is touring the world. Indians don’t need such extravagant shows.”

Amrit Boro, 43, a betelnut trader from Assam, echoed the criticism. “How is Modi’s visit going to help a commoner when prices of basics have skyrocketed under his rule?” Boro said. “He runs away whenever there is a crisis in the country. I see that in his trip now.”

Some Indian front pages and television channels also gave attention to former president Barack Obama’s comments in a CNN interview on Thursday. Obama said that he would tell Modi, if given the opportunity, that “if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility that India, at some point, starts pulling apart.”

That remark led to a viral exchange in India after a journalist sarcastically tweeted to the chief minister of Assam asking if his state was planning to arrest Obama, in reference to previous arrests by the Assam police.

In a response that took aim at India’s Muslim population, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, tweeted : “There are many Hussain Obama in India itself. We should prioritize taking care of them before considering going to Washington.”

Like many other BJP leaders and supporters across the country, Sarma repeatedly shared videos of Modi chants in the Congress and in front of the White House.

One anchor on one of India’s most popular English news channels chimed in: “When the opposition hears ‘Modi, Modi’ chants, the opposition hears only ‘Modi, Modi.’ We hear ‘India, India.'”

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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

/ READ TIME: 9 minutes

By: Sameer P. Lalwani, Ph.D. ;   Daniel Markey, Ph.D. ;   Tamanna Salikuddin ;   Vikram J. Singh

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.

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.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s).

PUBLICATION TYPE: Analysis

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington

The partnership is "stronger, closer and more dynamic than at any time in history," Biden told reporters at a joint press conference with Modi. The press conference itself was a reflection of contrasting political traditions, marking the first time Modi has taken questions in such a format in his nine-year tenure.

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Why India and the U.S. Are Closer Than Ever

Defense deals and tech ties underpin modi’s visit to washington..

• Foreign & Public Diplomacy
• Geopolitics
• Science and Technology
• Rishi Iyengar

“My dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States,” then-Sen. Joe Biden said on a visit to New Delhi in 2006. They may not be quite there yet, but Biden is doing everything to ensure they end up much closer—especially economically and militarily—after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits next week.

Washington is rolling out the red carpet for Modi, hosting him for a state dinner, the Biden administration’s third such visit after welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol within the past year. Modi will also address a joint session of Congress, his second time doing so as Indian prime minister.

It’s not just pomp and symbolism, however. The United States wants to bring India deeper into its manufacturing and defense orbit, with the added benefit of helping wean New Delhi’s military off Russia and U.S. supply chains off China. Although both sides have been tight-lipped on planned announcements, a number of expected agreements on semiconductor chips and fighter jet engines have been in the works for months, bolstered by visits to New Delhi by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the weeks leading up to Modi’s trip. This week, the two sides reportedly sealed a deal for India to buy more than two dozen American drones.

“While I will not spill the beans, I can tell you that the ceremonial and substantive parts of the visit will fully complement each other and will be unparalleled,” Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to Washington, said at a recent event.

The India-U.S. relationship hasn’t always been smooth sailing, and potential frictions remain, but the two countries have increasingly zeroed in on an arena where they can achieve symbiosis. “If you ask me what I would bet on the most, what is that one force multiplier for this relationship, it is tech,” Sandhu said. “It is the master key to unlock the real potential in the relationship.”

Officials from both sides have spent months laying the groundwork—and acronyms. An initiative on critical and emerging technology ( iCET ), launched in late January by Sullivan and his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, commits to cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space exploration, semiconductors, and defense technology. There has been more movement on the last two in particular: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal inked a bilateral semiconductor supply chain partnership in New Delhi in March, while Austin’s visit to New Delhi earlier this month yielded INDUS-X, or the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem, described by the Pentagon as a “new initiative to advance cutting-edge technology cooperation” between the two militaries.

The most significant developments are likely to take place on the defense front, particularly if recent discussions on jointly producing jet engines, long-range artillery, and military vehicles come to fruition next week, product of a yearslong rapprochement on sharing defense technology with India. “This is not just manufacturing in India, this is genuine tech transfer,” said Rudra Chaudhuri, director of New Delhi-based think tank Carnegie India. “That’s a big deal.”

In some ways, it is an opportunity for a marriage of convenience. About half of India’s military equipment is Russian-made, and although New Delhi has spent years trying to diversify that supply, Russia’s protracted war in Ukraine has increased the urgency of finding new bedfellows. Washington sees an opening.

“The one relationship which the U.S. has traditionally been wary of in closer defense ties with India has been the India-Russia partnership,” said Aparna Pande, director of the India Initiative at the Hudson Institute. “This is one chance where if India can be weaned away because of a lack of supply parts, problematic equipment, or Russia getting closer to China, [you can] maybe convince India to purchase more from the United States and U.S. partners and allies.”

China is another major source of mutual concern pushing Washington and New Delhi closer together. India’s relationship with China deteriorated earlier and far more dramatically, with military clashes on their shared border leading to an Indian purge of Chinese technology (including, notably, a TikTok ban) nearly three years ago. Chinese naval expansion into the Indian Ocean has also spooked India and reinforced the importance of the so-called Quad group of countries. The United States and its allies, meanwhile, are urgently trying to reorient and “ friendshore ” global tech supply chains to reduce dependence on China, which has spent years establishing itself as the world’s factory floor.

India presents a ready replacement in many ways, much of it stemming from its new status as the world’s most populous country. That means a large (and youthful) labor force, millions of whom are skilled engineers, and relatively low manufacturing costs that the Modi government is further bolstering with tax incentives under its signature “Make in India” program. Like China, India’s sheer size also presents a huge potential domestic market for U.S. companies, an advantage over other alternatives such as Vietnam and Mexico. If for decades dollars and cents determined the landscape of global technology production, geopolitics have become supreme.

“There’s a sense of Balkanization taking place” in the global tech supply chain, said Mukesh Aghi, CEO of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a Washington-based business advocacy group. “Geopolitical stress points are driving the tech agenda.”

There are still hurdles that need to be overcome, including India’s history of protectionism and red tape that has burned U.S. companies in the past and made it difficult to create the kind of manufacturing infrastructure required to rival what China has built. One large semiconductor push, a $19 billion joint venture between Indian conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, has reportedly already been stymied by a denial of government incentives.

And while companies will ultimately have to vote with their checkbooks, Biden and Modi are sending nothing but boosterish signals.

“Remember the old saying that trade follows the flag—I think the two governments are waving the flag very mightily to show which direction industry and business ought to be going,” said Atul Keshap, a former diplomat who heads the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-India Business Council. “The two governments tried for a long time to figure out what government-to-government interaction would look like, and now I think they’re realizing the value of letting the private sector collaborate,” he added.

But one casualty of the Modi visit and his newfound status will likely be U.S. willingness to call out concerns about the health of India’s democracy, at least publicly. The Biden administration has been increasingly reluctant to call out Modi’s crackdowns on free speech and violence against minorities, and experts say the strategic imperatives are too great to afford antagonizing a vital partnership.

“There is a desire to emphasize the strategic and the national security imperative over the domestic imperative,” Pande said. “In the current context, India is important, and so what the U.S. is preferring to do is convey a lot of what it wants to say in private and not in public.”

Rishi Iyengar is a reporter at  Foreign Policy . Twitter:  @Iyengarish

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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. 

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. 

“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.

“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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Biden to host India’s Modi at White House next month

Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington seeks to ‘affirm the deep and close partnership’ between the US and India, White House says.

US President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, DC next month, the White House has announced, in a trip the Biden administration said aims to “affirm the deep and close partnership” between the two countries.

In a statement on Wednesday, the White House said Modi will make an official state visit to the United States capital on June 22, including a state dinner.

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“The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together,” the statement read.

The US and India have maintained close ties for decades, notably on defence and trade, and this will be the first state visit by Modi to the country.

But ties between the two nations have been tested in recent months over a range of issues, including concern over the Indian government’s human rights record and its relationship with Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

Biden and Modi held a virtual meeting in April 2022 as Washington sought to push New Delhi to apply economic pressure on Moscow over the invasion of its neighbour.

The American president told the Indian prime minister at that time that the US could help India diversify its oil imports – but that it was not in the country’s interests to increase energy imports from Russia, a White House spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, an independent US commission recommended for the fourth year in a row that India be added to a religious freedom blacklist, saying that conditions in the country for religious minorities “continued to worsen” throughout 2022.

These US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reports have drawn anger from Indian officials. Last year, India’s foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi accused senior US officials of making “ill-informed” and “biased” comments.

Nevertheless, Modi’s invitation to Washington, DC comes as both India and the US seek to shore up support against China’s growing assertiveness.

In its statement on Wednesday, the White House said the upcoming talks between Biden and Modi also will strengthen their respective countries’ “shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific”.

“The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security,” the Biden administration said.

Modi visited Biden at the White House in 2021, but as part of a summit for the so-called “Quad” grouping – the US, Australia, Japan and India – that is seeking to counter China’s rising influence in the Pacific region.

The relationship between Washington and Beijing has seen growing tensions in the past few years as the US prioritised strategic competition with China in its foreign policy under former President Donald Trump, a position fully embraced by Biden.

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‘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.

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”.

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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Modi US visit: PM announces opening of new Indian consulate in Seattle, investments from US

Pm modi in us live updates: prime minister narendra modi addressed the joint session of the us congress on thursday. he heaped praise on india in terms of economic growth, covid vaccinations and women empowerment. he was accorded a grand welcome at the white house, by us president joe biden, the leaders held one-on-one talks at the oval office to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests. penn masala, a south asian a cappella group performed during pm modi's ceremonial welcome at the white house. pm modi arrived at the white house on thursday to hold bilateral talks with us president joe biden. he arrived in washington dc on wednesday, after an eventful day in new york. he met the first lady of the us, jill biden, and visited the national science foundation in alexandria, virginia. later in the day, he met president joe biden, who hosted a private dinner for him at the white house. pm modi and the bidens exchanged gifts during the intimate dinner..

Over 100 stolen antiques to be returned to India from US: PM Modi

About 100 ancient artifacts stolen from India will be returned by the American government, Prime Minister Modi said. "These antiques were taken away both in the wrong and right ways, and found their way into foreign markets. I thank the US government for returning these. This symbolises that we respect each others’ emotions as countries. This shows that India-US relations are strengthening not just businesswise, but also sentimentally," the Prime Minister said.

Today's India will surprise you with its digital revolution: PM Modi

"India has witnessed an unprecedented digital revolution over the past years. This new, changed India will surprise you. In India, anyone can do banking from any part of the country 24*7. The reason behind this tremendous progress in India is the belief of 140 crore people in the country. Modi has not done anything alone. Hundreds of years of colonisation had taken this belief away from us," PM Modi said while addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC.

Together we are not just forming policies but shaping lives, destinies: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi said the two countries have affected several lives, even as he went on to say that "together we are not just forming policies but shaping lives, destinies". "Many of you have been living here for years. But I know your hearts are back in India," he said.

New indian consulate in Seattle this year, two more in other cities

PM Modi declared that a new Indian consulate will be opened in Seattle this year, with two more in other US cities. "America's new consulates will be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. It has now been decided that the H1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself," the PM further said. 

PM lists major investment announcements by US companies amid 'Modi Modi' chants

PM Modi declared several announcements of investments in India. "Google will open its global Fintech centre in India, Boeing has declared significant investment. General Electric’s decision to manufacture fighter plane engines in India will be a milestone in India’s defence sector,” says PM Modi while addressing the Indian diaspora at Ronald Reagan Center, Washington. All this will create investments as well as jobs in India, he said.

India-US heading towards a better future together: PM Modi

PM Modi said, "I am also thankful to President Biden. He is a sorted and experienced leader. He has personally put a lot of effort to bring India-US relationship to new heights and I appreciate his contribution publicly. Be it defense, industry, manufacturing, or the industrial supply chain, we are heading towards a better future together."

PM Modi thanks Indian diaspora for "Mini India" in US

"You people have formed a mini India here. I can see people from every corner of India. It's like a mini India. Thank you for showing me such a beautiful picture of India in US. The love I am receiving here in the US is very overwhelming. And the credit goes to all your hard work and contribution to the progress of America," PM Modi while addressing the Indian disapora.

One new university opens in India every week, new college every 2 days: PM Modi

At the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi said, "You will be delighted to know how swiftly India is going ahead...Today, one new University is coming up in India every week. Every third day, one Atal Tinkering Lab is opening in India. Every second day, a new college is being opened. Every day a new ITI is being established in India. Every year one new IIT and one new IIM is being set up in India. Talents from such institutions are working for the welfare of humanity..."

#WATCH | Washington, DC | At the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi says, "You will be delighted to know how swiftly India is going ahead...Today, one new University is coming up in India every week. Every third day, one Atal Tinkering Lab is opening in India. Every second day, a new… pic.twitter.com/ISNguHdGO0 — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023

Whenever India grew stronger, whole world has benefitted: PM Modi

At the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi said, "Ease of doing business is a promise of our government. Whenever India has grown stronger, the whole world has benefitted."

This is the moment; India and US have set the ground for growth: PM Modi

At the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi said, "Technology handshake held at the White House today is a direct message to the companies, businesses, manufacturers and innovators of both countries - This is the moment. The Indian and US governments have done the groundwork for you. But now, the responsibility to grow on this ground is yours."

Reforms in India unprecedented with high growth, low inflation: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi highlighted that the reforms in India are unprecedented. "India is showing high growth and low inflation. Our exports, Forex are growing. The FDI has set a new record. The middle class is growing in India. Aviation growth is also significant. Indian airlines has given hundreds of aircraft orders recently. India-US are moving ahead as most reliable partners in several sectors," the PM said.

Indian aspiration giving strength to US aspiration in almost all sectors: PM Modi

"India-US defense partnership is creating special relations with almost every state of US, opening a new dimension of support and partnership. Be it textile, food or tourism, Indian aspiration is giving strength to US aspiration almost in all sectors. I am happy that Indian companies are investing billion of dollars in US. Indian companies are becoming global," PM Modi said.

Aspiration of Indians is growth engine, no different from American dream: PM Modi

PM Modi said that the aspiration of Indians is the growth engine of the country. "It's not different from the American dream. We are eradicating extreme poverty.We Indians have made a resolution for the development of India. We are empowering the poor....increasing the ease of living. The Indian economy has climbed to number 5 from number 10," he said.

India, US partnership not of comfort but of conviction, commitment: PM Modi

At the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi says, "It has been four days since I came to the US. In these 4 days, I met several people, including President Biden. The one thing that gave me self-confidence is -- India and US partnership. I can confidently say that this partnership is not just of convenience but of conviction, of compassion and of shared commitment for a better future. The foundation of this partnership is you..."

You are vital for America's development: PM Modi to entrepreneurs in Washington

Addressing a gathering of entrepreneurs in Washington, Prime Minister Modi said, "I was eagerly waiting for this program during my visit to America. All of you are strong pillars of America's development journey. That's why I wanted to meet you guys. You all have worked so hard to bring America to this height of success."

Singer Mary Millben to perform Indian National Anthem at concluding event

Award-winning International Singer Mary Millben says "It is such a great honour to be here and be a part of PM Modi's concluding event for his tour to the United States."

Mary Millben will be performing the National Anthem of India at the concluding event.

State Secretary Antony Blinken calls PM Modi's visit historic

Addressing the gathering, State Secretary Antony Blinken said it  has truly been a historic visit to Washington.  "Today the US and India partnership is closer and more dynamic than ever. Our partnership has reached from Seas to Stars," Blinken said, highlighting that Air India has purchased a record number of Boeing aircraft providing jobs for Americans.

PM Modi to address US-India Strategic Partnership Forum shortly

PM Modi will shortly address the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) at the Kennedy Centre in Washington.

Watch: Members of Indian diaspora registering for PM Modi's address

Members of the Indian diaspora registered themselves ahead of the PM's address at a community event at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC. 

Members of Indian diaspora registering themselves ahead of PM's address at community event at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/ozd3FTazMS — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 23, 2023

PM’s vision for Digital India was way ahead of his time: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, after meeting  PM Modi, said, "It was an honour to meet PM Modi during the historic visit to the US. We shared with the Prime Minister that Google is investing $10 billion in India's digitisation fund. We are announcing the opening of our global fintech operation centre in GIFT City, Gujarat. PM’s vision for Digital India was way ahead of his time I now see it as a blueprint that other countries are looking to do"

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PM Modi's two-hour-long event for Indian diaspora in US on June 23. Top points

Modi us visit 2023 schedule: narendra modi will visit the us from june 21-24 at the invitation of us president joe biden and first lady jill biden..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

On June 23, Modi will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC. Modi's event with the Indian diaspora will focus on their role in “India’s growth story”.

Top points on PM Modi's address to Indian diaspora in US

1. Modi's event will be for two hours from 7pm to 9pm (local time) on June 23.

2. Award-winning international singer Mary Millben will perform for Modi and other guests at a diaspora reception hosted by the United States Indian Community Foundation (USICF) at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

3. Millben will on the invitation of India's Permanent Representative to the UN, attend the 9th International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters (UNHQ) on June 21 with Modi.

4. Dr Bharat Barai, a popular community leader and organiser of Modi's Ronald Reagan Center event in the US, said the prime minister is the most popular public figure, leader in the world, not just in India.

5. Modi's address to the Indian diaspora will be at a relatively modest gathering in Washington DC because of his tight schedule, dashing the hopes of community leaders who had hoped to organise a gala event, news agency PTI reported.

6. With the Indian diaspora numbering nearly 4.5 million and spread across the country, its members expect Modi to connect with them in major cities, and he has been speaking to them in different US cities during his visits.

7. "Narendra Modi is the most popular Indian prime minister for the global Indian diaspora. Now he is the most popular world leader," said Barai, chairman of the Indian American Community Foundation, which had initially planned a mega carnival-like event in Chicago to rival the welcome the prime minister received at Madison Square Garden in 2014 and in Houston in 2019.

8. "The PM was gracious enough to delay his departure from DC by a few hours, and granted a slot for the diaspora meeting," Barai told PTI.

9. Only a select gathering of nearly 1,000 people will be able to attend.

10. Indian Americans are expected to travel to the US capital in large numbers to witness the official welcome ceremony for Modi on June 22, a day after he leads a Yoga Day event at the UN headquarters in New York, soon after he lands in the United States.

Have 11 years' experience in print and digital media. Write on politics, defence and world affairs, and have a keen eye for human-interest stories. ...view detail

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Joint Statement from the United   States and   India

1.        President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today affirmed a vision of the United States and India as among the closest partners in the world – a partnership of democracies looking into the 21 st century with hope, ambition, and confidence.  The U.S.-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership is anchored in a new level of trust and mutual understanding and enriched by the warm bonds of family and friendship that inextricably link our countries together.  Together, we will build an even stronger, diverse U.S.-India partnership that will advance the aspirations of our people for a bright and prosperous future grounded in respect for human rights, and shared principles of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.  Our cooperation will serve the global good as we work through a range of multilateral and regional groupings – particularly the Quad– to contribute toward a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific.  No corner of human enterprise is untouched by the partnership between our two great countries, which spans the seas to the stars.   Charting a Technology Partnership for the Future   2.        President Biden and Prime Minister Modi affirm that technology will play the defining role in deepening our partnership.  The leaders hailed the inauguration of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in January 2023 as a major milestone in U.S.-India relations.  They called on our governments, businesses, and academic institutions to realize their shared vision for the strategic technology partnership.  The leaders recommitted the United States and India to fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, based on mutual confidence and trust that reinforces our shared values and democratic institutions.   3.        President Biden and Prime Minister Modi set a course to reach new frontiers across all sectors of space cooperation.  The leaders applauded our growing cooperation on earth and space science, and space technologies. They welcomed the decision of NASA and ISRO to develop a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation by the end of 2023.The leaders hailed the announcement by NASA to provide advanced training to Indian astronauts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, with a goal of mounting a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024.The leaders celebrated the delivery of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite to ISRO’s U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, India, and looked forward to NISAR’s 2024 launch from India.  Welcoming India’s Space Policy – 2023, the leaders called for enhanced commercial collaboration between the U.S. and Indian private sectors in the entire value chain of the space economy and to address export controls and facilitate technology transfer. President Biden deeply appreciated India’s signing of the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision of space exploration for the benefit of all humankind.     4.        President Biden and Prime Minister Modi committed their administrations to promoting policies and adapting regulations that facilitate greater technology sharing, co-development, and co-production opportunities between U.S. and Indian industry, government, and academic institutions.  The leaders welcomed the launch of the interagency-led Strategic Trade Dialogue in June2023 and directed both sides to undertake regular efforts to address export controls, explore ways of enhancing high technology commerce, and facilitate technology transfer between the two countries.   5.        President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed the signing of an MoU on Semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership as a significant step in the coordination of our countries’ semiconductor incentive programs.  This will promote commercial opportunities, research, talent, and skill development.  The leaders welcomed an announcement by Micron Technology, Inc., to invest up to $825 million to build a new semiconductor assembly and test facility in India with support from the Indian government.  The combined investment valued at $2.75 billion would create up to 5,000 new direct and 15,000 community jobs opportunities in the next five years.  The leaders also welcomed Lam Research’s proposal to train 60,000 Indian engineers through its Semiverse Solution virtual fabrication platform to accelerate India’s semiconductor education and workforce development goals, and an announcement by Applied Materials, Inc., to invest $400 million to establish a collaborative engineering center in India.    6.         President Biden and Prime Minister Modi share a vision of creating secure and trusted telecommunications ,  resilient supply chains, and enabling global digital inclusion.  To fulfill this vision, the leaders launched two Joint Task Forces on advanced telecommunications, focused on Open RAN and research and development in 5G/6G technologies. Public-private cooperation between vendors and operators will be led by India’s Bharat 6G Alliance and the U.S. Next G Alliance.  We are partnering on Open RAN field trials and rollouts, including scaled deployments, in both countries with operators and vendors of both markets, backed by U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) financing.  The leaders welcomed participation of Indian companies in the U.S. Rip and Replace Program.  They endorsed an ambitious vision for 6G networks, including standards cooperation, facilitating access to chipsets for system development, and establishing joint research and development projects.  President Biden and Prime Minister Modi also stressed the need to put in place a “Trusted Network/Trusted Sources” bilateral framework.   7.        President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the establishment of a joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate collaboration among industry, academia, and government, and our work toward a comprehensive Quantum Information Science and Technology agreement.  The United States welcomes India’s participation in the Quantum Entanglement Exchange and in the Quantum Economic Development Consortium to facilitate expert and commercial exchanges with leading, like-minded quantum nations.  The United States and India will sustain and grow quantum training and exchange programs and work to reduce barriers to U.S.-India research collaboration.  The leaders welcomed the launch of a $2million grant program under the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment fund for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies, and encouraged public-private collaborations to develop high performance computing (HPC) facilities in India.  President Biden also reiterated his government’s commitment to work with U.S. Congress to lower barriers to U.S. exports to India of HPC technology and source code.   The U.S. side pledged to make its best efforts in support of India’s Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) joining the U.S. Accelerated Data Analytics and Computing (ADAC) Institute.   8.        The leaders welcomed 35 innovative joint research collaborations in emerging technologies funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Indian Department of Science and Technology (DST).  Under a new implementation arrangement between NSF and DST, both sides will fund joint research projects in computer and information science and engineering, cyber physical systems, and secure and trustworthy cyberspace. Furthermore, NSF and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will bring fresh funding for joint projects in applied research areas such as semiconductors, next generation communication, cyber security, sustainability and green technologies and intelligent transportation systems.   9.        Both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi acknowledge the profound opportunities and significant risks associated with AI.  Accordingly, they committed to develop joint and international collaboration on trustworthy and responsible AI, including generative AI, to advance AI education and workforce initiatives, promote commercial opportunities, and mitigate against discrimination and bias. The United States also supports India’s leadership as Chair of the Global Partnership on AI.  The leaders applauded Google’s intent to continue investing through its $10 billion India Digitization Fund, including in early-stage Indian startups.  Through its AI Research Center in India, Google is building models to support over 100 Indian languages.   10.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed our deepening bilateral cooperation on cutting-edge scientific infrastructure, including a $140 million in-kind contribution from the Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Fermi National Laboratory toward collaborative development of the Proton Improvement Plan-II Accelerator, for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility — the first and largest international research facility on U.S. soil.  They also welcomed the commencement of construction of a Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in India.  The leaders called on their administrations to extend these partnerships to advanced biotechnology and biomanufacturing, and enhance biosafety and biosecurity innovation, practices, and norms.   Powering a Next Generation Defense Partnership   11.      The U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership has emerged as a pillar of global peace and security.  Through  joint exercises, strengthening of defense industrial cooperation, the annual “2+2” Ministerial Dialogue, and other consultative mechanisms, we have made substantial progress in building an advanced and comprehensive defense partnership in which our militaries coordinate closely across all domains.  The leaders appreciated the strong military-to-military ties, mutual logistics support, and efforts to streamline implementation of foundational agreements.  They noted that information sharing and placement of Liaison Officers in each other’s military organizations will spur joint service cooperation.  They also reiterated their resolve to strengthen maritime security cooperation, including through enhanced underwater domain awareness. The leaders welcomed the launch of dialogues in new defense domains including space and AI, which will enhance capacity building, knowledge, and expertise.   12.      Expressing their desire to accelerate defense industrial cooperation, the leaders welcomed the adoption of a Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, which will provide policy direction to defense industries and enable co-production of advanced defense systems and collaborative research, testing, and prototyping of projects.  Both sides are committed to addressing any regulatory barriers to defense industrial cooperation.  The leaders also noted the decision of India’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense to commence negotiations for concluding a Security of Supply arrangement and initiate discussions about Reciprocal Defense Procurement agreement.   13.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed the landmark signing of an MoU between General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the manufacture of GE F-414 jet engines in India, for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Light Combat Aircraft Mk 2.  This trailblazing initiative to manufacture F-414 engines in India will enable greater transfer of U.S. jet engine technology than ever before.  The leaders committed their governments to working collaboratively and expeditiously to support the advancement of this unprecedented co-production and technology transfer proposal.    14.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi also welcomed India’s emergence as a hub for maintenance and repair for forward deployed U.S. Navy assets and the conclusion of  Master Ship Repair Agreements with Indian shipyards.  This will allow the U.S. Navy to expedite the contracting process for mid-voyage and emergent repair.  As envisaged in the Defense Industrial Roadmap, both countries agree to work together for the creation of logistic, repair, and maintenance infrastructure for aircrafts and vessels in India.   15.      The leaders welcomed the setting up and launch of the U.S.-India Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X). As a network of universities, startups, industry and think tanks, INDUS-X will facilitate joint defense technology innovation, and co-production of advanced defense technology between the respective industries of the two countries. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Force has signed its first International Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Indian start-up 114 AI and 3rdiTech. Both companies will work with General Atomics to co-develop components using cutting edge technologies in AI and semiconductors respectively.   16.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed India’s plans to procure General Atomics MQ-9B HALE UAVs.  The MQ-9Bs, which will be assembled in India, will enhance the ISR capabilities of India’s armed forces across domains. As part of this plan, General Atomics will also establish a Comprehensive Global MRO facility in India to support of India’s long-term goals to boost indigenous defense capabilities.   Catalyzing the Clean Energy Transition   17.      As climate action and clean energy leaders, the United States and India share a common and ambitious vision to rapidly deploy clean energy at scale, build economic prosperity, and help achieve global climate goals.  They recognize the critical role of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and India’s ambitious production-linked incentives scheme for cutting-edge clean and renewable technologies.  The leaders highlighted the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership and Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) as reflective of this commitment.  The leaders welcomed joint efforts to develop and deploy energy storage technologies, including through the establishment of a new task force under SCEP. The leaders welcomed the launch of the U.S.-India New and Emerging Renewable Energy Technologies Action Platform, which will accelerate cooperation in green hydrogen, offshore and onshore wind, and other emerging technologies. They will collaborate to achieve their respective national goals to reduce the cost of green/clean hydrogen under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and the U.S. Hydrogen Energy Earthshot.  The United States welcomed India’s decision to co-lead the multilateral Hydrogen Breakthrough Agenda. The leaders called for the development of joint efforts in carbon capture, utilization, and storage, given its role in reducing emissions.  The leaders welcomed India’s VSK Energy LLC’s announcement to invest up to $1.5 billion to develop a new, vertically integrated solar panel manufacturing operation in the United States and India’s JSW Steel USA’s plans to invest $120 million at its Mingo Junction, Ohio, steel plant to better serve growing markets in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors.   18.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of decarbonizing the transportation sector, including by accelerating the deployment of zero emissions vehicles, continued collaboration to promote public and private financing for electric transportation, and the development of biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuels.  To this end, the leaders lauded the creation and development of the Global Biofuels Alliance, which will be launched in July 2023, with the United States as a founding member.  Both leaders welcomed the signing of an MOU under which the U.S. Agency for International Development will support Indian Railways’ ambitious target to become a “net-zero” carbon emitter by 2030.The United States and India also announced plans to create a payment security mechanism that will facilitate the deployment of 10,000 made-in-India electric buses in India, augmenting India’s focused efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving public health, and diversifying the global supply chain.   19.      India and the United States committed to create innovative investment platforms that will effectively lower the cost of capital and attract international private finance at scale to accelerate the deployment of greenfield renewable energy, battery storage, and emerging green technology projects in India.  The United States and India will endeavor to develop a first-of-its kind, multibillion-dollar investment platform aimed at providing catalytic capital and de-risking support for such projects.    20.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed their support for the mission of the International Energy Agency (IEA), and President Biden pledged to continue working with the Government of India, IEA members, the IEA Secretariat, and other relevant stakeholders toward IEA membership for India in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement on an International Energy Program.     21.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi affirmed the intention of the two governments, as trusted partners, to work together to ensure that our respective markets are well-supplied with the essential critical minerals needed to achieve our climate, economic and strategic technology cooperation goals.  The leaders pledged to hasten bilateral collaboration to secure resilient critical minerals supply chains through enhanced technical assistance and greater commercial cooperation, and exploration of additional joint frameworks as necessary.  The United States enthusiastically welcomes India as the newest partner in the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable critical energy minerals supply chains globally while agreeing to the principles of the MSP including environmental, social, and governance standards.  The leaders lauded the announcement of India’s Epsilon Carbon Limited’s plans toinvest $650 million in a U.S. greenfield electric vehicle battery component factory.   22.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi underscored the important role nuclear energy plays in global decarbonization efforts and affirmed nuclear energy as a necessary resource to meet our nations’ climate, energy transition, and energy security needs.  The leaders noted ongoing negotiations between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) for the construction of six nuclear reactors in India.  They welcomed intensified consultations between the U.S. DOE and India’s DAE for facilitating opportunities for WEC to develop a techno-commercial offer for the Kovvada nuclear project. They also noted the ongoing discussion on developing next generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode for the domestic market as well as for export. The United States reaffirms its support for India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and commits to continue engagement with likeminded partners to advance this goal.   23.      The leaders recognize that addressing sustainable consumption and production is a key component to achieving of the development, environment and climate ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.  In this regard, President Biden welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s Lifestyle for Environment initiative (LiFE) as a successful national model to address the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification and land degradation, and resolved to work together to implement the G20 High Level Principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development.   Deepening Strategic Convergence   24.      As global partners, the United States and India affirm that the rules-based international order must be respected. They emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.   25.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi expressed their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine and mourned its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences.  The leaders underscored the serious and growing impacts of the war on the global economic system, including on food, fuel and energy security, and critical supply chains.  They called for greater efforts to mitigate the consequences of the war, especially in the developing world.   Both countries further pledge to render continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine.  They called for respect for international law, principles of the UN charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty.  Both countries concurred on the importance of post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine.   26.      The United States and India reaffirmed their resolve to counter any attempts to unilaterally subvert the multilateral system. The leaders underscored the need to strengthen and reform the multilateral system so it may better reflect contemporary realities. In this context both sides remain committed to a comprehensive UN reform agenda, including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UN Security Council.  Sharing the view that global governance must be more inclusive and representative, President Biden reiterated U.S. support for India’s permanent membership on a reformed UN Security Council(UNSC).  In this context, President Biden welcomed India’s candidature as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2028-29 term, in view of India’s significant contributions to the UN system and commitment to multilateralism, as well as its active and constructive engagement in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations process on Security Council reforms, with an overall objective of making the UNSC more effective, representative, and credible. 27.       President Biden and Prime Minister Modi recommitted themselves to empowering the Quad as a partnership for global good.  The two leaders welcomed the progress made at the Hiroshima Summit last month among the four maritime democracies to further advance a positive and constructive agenda for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.  The leaders welcomed progress on the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, through which Quad partners are providing maritime domain data across the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific regions. The Quad to be hosted in India in 2024 would be another opportunity to continue the dialogue and consolidate cooperation.  The leaders committed to continue working in partnership with regional platforms such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association, Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, and ASEAN to achieve shared aspirations and address shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region.  Prime Minister Modi welcomed the United States joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and President Biden welcomed India’s continued participation as an observer in the Partners in the Blue Pacific.  28.      The leaders also welcomed the depth and pace of enhanced consultations between the two governments on regional issues including South Asia, the Indo-Pacific and East Asia and looked forward to our governments holding an inaugural Indian Ocean Dialogue in 2023. 29.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reiterated their enduring commitment to a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous India-Pacific region with respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and international law.  Both leaders expressed concern over coercive actions and rising tensions, and strongly oppose destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force. Both sides emphasized the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, in addressing challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas. 30.      The leaders expressed deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, and called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained, the establishment of constructive dialogue, and the transition of Myanmar toward an inclusive federal democratic system. 31.      The leaders also condemned the destabilizing ballistic missile launches of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which violate relevant UN Security Council resolutions and pose a grave threat to international peace and security.  They reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and urged DPRK to comply with its obligations under these resolutions and engage in substantive dialogue.  They stressed the importance of addressing the concerns regarding DPRK’s proliferation linkages related to weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery, and related items in the region and beyond.

32.       The United States and India stand together to counter global terrorism and unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.  President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen.  They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks.  They called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice. They noted with concern the increasing global use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes and reaffirmed the importance of working together to combat such misuse. They welcomed the cooperation between our two governments on counterterrorism designations and homeland security cooperation, including in intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation, and called upon the Financial Action Task Force to undertake further work identifying how to improve global implementation of its standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. 33.      The leaders reiterated their strong support for a peaceful, secure, and stable Afghanistan.They discussed the current humanitarian situation and concurred on the need to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. The leaders urged the Taliban to abide by UNSC Resolution 2593 which demands that Afghan territory should never be used to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist attacks. Committing to continue close consultations on the situation in Afghanistan, the leaders emphasized the importance of formation of an inclusive political structure and called on the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to respect freedom of movement.

34.       President Biden and Prime Minister Modi looked forward to strengthening a long-term strategic partnership between the I2U2 countries of India, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and the United States to leverage markets to build more innovative, inclusive, and science-based solutions to enhance food and energy security, improve movement of people and goods across hemispheres, and increase sustainability and resilience.

35.  President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to an open, secure, inclusive, safe, interoperable, and reliable Internet, and to continuing cooperation on a range of cybersecurity issues, including preventing and responding to cyber threats, promoting cybersecurity education and awareness and measures to build resilient cyber infrastructure.  Both the United States and India are committed to sharing information about cyber threats and vulnerabilities, and to working together to investigate and respond to cyber incidents.    36.      The United States and India reaffirm and embrace their shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, inclusion, pluralism, and equal opportunities for all citizens.  Both countries have a tradition of recognizing the diversity represented in their nations and celebrating the contributions of all their citizens.  They reasserted that democracy, freedom, and rule of law are the shared values that anchor global peace and sustainable development. In keeping with the spirit of leaving no one behind, both leaders committed to working towards ensuring that fruits of economic growth and well-being reach the underprivileged. They also committed to pursue programs and initiatives that would facilitate women-led development, and enable all women and girls to live free from gender-based violence and abuse. President Biden underscored his appreciation for India’s participation in the Summit for Democracy process, and for efforts made by India toward sharing knowledge, technical expertise, and experiences with electoral management bodies of other democracies. The leaders also welcomed the re-launch of the Global Issues Forum, which would hold its next meeting at an appropriate time.   Propelling Global Growth   37.      As two of the world’s largest democratic economies, the United States and India are indispensable partners in advancing global prosperity and a free, fair, and rules-based economic order.  President Biden highlighted the impactful participation of Prime Minister Modi in the G7 Hiroshima Summit and looks forward to the G20 Summit in September in New Delhi. He applauded India’s leadership in its ongoing G20 Presidency, which has brought renewed focus on strengthening multilateral institutions and international cooperation to tackle global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, fragility and conflict, along with work to accelerate achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and lay the foundation for strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth.   38.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi are united in their determination to use the G20 to deliver on shared priorities for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, including improving the sovereign debt restructuring process; advancing the multilateral development bank evolution agenda, including mobilizing new concessional financing at the World Bank to support all developing countries; and raising the level of ambition on mobilizing private sector investment for quality, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. The United States looks forward to hosting the G20 presidency in 2026, nearly two decades after the first full-scale G20 Leaders’ Summit in Pittsburgh.   39.      The United States and India recognize the potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approaches for enabling open and inclusive digital economies. President Biden and Prime Minister Modi intend to work together to provide global leadership for the implementation of DPI to promote inclusive development, competitive markets, and protect individual rights.  In this regard, the United States and India will explore how to partner together and align our efforts to advance the development and deployment of robust DPIs, including appropriate safeguards to protect, privacy, data security and intellectual property.  They will explore developing a U.S.-India Global Digital Development Partnership, which would bring together technology and resources from both countries to enable development and deployment of DPIs in developing countries. 40.      The leaders are committed to pursuing ambitious efforts to strengthen Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to address shared global challenges of the 21 st century. In this regard, they emphasized the need for comprehensive efforts by MDBs to evolve their vision, incentive structure, operational approaches and financial capacity so that they are better equipped to address a wide range of SDGs and trans-boundary challenges including climate change, pandemics, conflicts and fragility. Recognizing multilateral efforts in this area, the leaders acknowledged the ongoing work under the Indian presidency of the G20 on strengthening MDBs including the report of the G20 Expert Group on Strengthening MDBs.  By the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, the United States and India will work together to secure G20 commitment to create a major new dedicated pool of funds at the World Bank to deploy concessional lending for global challenges, and to enhance support for crisis response in International Development Association recipient countries.   41.      The leaders reaffirmed that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is an important pillar of our collective and collaborative efforts to build resilience in our supply chains, harness transformations in clean energy, and accelerate progress of our economies through anti-corruption efforts, efficient tax administrative practices, and capacity building measures.  The leaders welcomed the substantial conclusion of negotiations on the proposed IPEF Supply Chain Agreement and committed to working with other partners expeditiously to conclude negotiations of the agreements under the clean economy and fair economy pillars to deliver concrete benefits that enhance the economic competitiveness and prosperity of countries in the Indo-Pacific. President Biden invited India to attend the APEC Summit in San Francisco in November 2023 as a guest of the host.   42.      The U.S.-India trade and investment partnership is an engine for global growth, with bilateral trade exceeding $191 billion in 2022, nearly doubling from 2014.  The leaders applauded the reconvening of the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue and CEO Forum in March in New Delhi.  They encouraged respective industries to take action on the recommendations from the CEOs for greater engagement and technical cooperation to build resilient supply chains for emerging technologies, clean energy technologies, and pharmaceuticals; promote an innovative digital economy; lower barriers to trade and investment; harmonize standards and regulations wherever feasible; and  work towards skilling our workforces.  The leaders support continued active engagement between the U.S. Treasury Department and the Indian Ministry of Finance under the Economic and Financial Partnership dialogue.  They encouraged the U.S. Federal Insurance Office and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India to advance areas of mutual interest in the insurance sector under their existing MoU framework.   43.      The United States and India have also taken steps toward deepening bilateral cooperation to strengthen our economic relationship, including trade ties. Underscoring the willingness and trust of both countries in resolving trade issues, the leaders welcomed the resolution of six outstanding WTO disputes between the two countries through mutually agreed solutions as well as their understandings on market access related to certain products of significance to the bilateral trade relationship.  They also looked forward to reconvening the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum before the end of 2023 to further enhance the bilateral trade relationship by addressing trade concerns and identifying further areas for engagement. India highlighted its interest in the restoration of its status under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences program, which could be considered in relation to eligibility criteria determined by the U.S. Congress.  The leaders supported intensifying the work to advance progress on issues related to the eligibility criteria. Prime Minister Modi also expressed India’s interest towards being recognized as a Trade Agreements Act-designated country by the United States to further enhance the integration of both economies and to further promote trade and investment between two countries.  In this regard, the leaders welcomed the initiation of discussions between both sides at an official level on issues related to bilateral government procurement.   44.      The leaders welcomed focused efforts under the re-launched U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue to expand cooperation in the areas of Talent, Innovation, and Inclusive Growth.  President Biden expressed appreciation for the significant workforce development efforts undertaken by several of the Indian companies taking part in the U.S.-India CEO Forum to upskill more than 250,000 employees and promote STEM learning within local communities across the United States.  Both leaders applauded the concept of an “Innovation Handshake” under the Commercial Dialogue that will lift up and connect the two sides’ dynamic startup ecosystems, address specific regulatory hurdles to cooperation, and promote further innovation and job growth, particularly in emerging technologies.  The Innovation Handshake demonstrates the resolve on both sides to further bolster their shared vision of an elevated strategic technology partnership, leveraging the strength and ingenuity of their respective private sectors to identify new innovations and match them with industry requirements across the priority sectors identified under the iCET framework.    45.      Recognizing the essential role that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play in advancing inclusive growth, expanding exports, and boosting employment across our respective cities, towns, and rural areas, the leaders welcomed plans under the Commercial Dialogue to organize a forum to promote the role and scope of MSMEs in bilateral trade and a digital commerce showcase to strengthen the engagement of women-owned and rural enterprises in particular.  They commended the work of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Indian Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, which are pursuing increased cooperation and intend to formalize their work through a MoU to support entrepreneurs and MSMEs.   46.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi again welcomed Air India’s historic agreement with Boeing to acquire more than 200 American-made aircraft.  This purchase will support more than one million American jobs across 44 states and contribute to ongoing efforts to modernize the civil aviation sector in India.  Boeing has announced a $100 million investment on infrastructure and programs to train pilots in India, supporting India’s need for 31,000 new pilots over the next 20 years. The leaders also welcomed Boeing’s announcement of its completion of a C-17 aftermarket support facility for MRO and a new parts logistics center in India to capture future synergies between defense and civil aviation.   Empowering Future Generations and Protecting the Health of our People   47.      President Biden and Prime Minister hailed the growing bilateral education partnership between the United States and India.  Indian students are on pace to soon become the largest foreign student community in the United States, with an increase of nearly 20 percent in Indian students studying in the United States last year alone.  The leaders welcomed the establishment of a new Joint Task Force of the Association of American Universities and leading Indian educational institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology, and the nomination of councils on each side, and noted their interim recommendations for expanding research and university partnerships between the two countries.  They also welcomed the establishment of Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes to spark deeper research partnerships and people-to-people exchanges between a range of diverse institutions in the U.S. and India in semiconductors, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, health and pandemic preparedness, and emerging technologies.   48.      The leaders welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Department of State that it would launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, including for Indian nationals, with the intent to implement this for an expanded pool of H1B and L visa holders in 2024 and eventually broadening the program to include other eligible categories.   49.      The leaders affirmed that the movement of professional and skilled workers, students, investors and business travelers between the countries contributes immensely to enhancing bilateral economic and technological partnership. While acknowledging the important steps taken to augment processing of visa applications, they noted the pressing need to further expedite this process. The leaders also directed officials to identify additional mechanisms to facilitate travel for business, tourism, and professional and technical exchanges between the two countries.   50.      Concomitant with the rapid growth in our strategic partnership and demand for travel, both sides intend to open new consulates in each other’s countries. The United States intends to initiate the process to open two new consulates in India in the cities of Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.  India will take steps to operationalize its new consulate in Seattle later this year, and open two new consulates at jointly identified locations in the United States.   51.      The leaders recognized the role of asocial security totalization agreement in protecting the interests of cross border workers and reaffirmed the intent to continue ongoing discussions concerning the elements required in both countries to enter into a bilateral social security totalization agreement.   52.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi celebrate the historic and active collaboration across the full expanse of our respective health sectors. They welcomed the opportunity for deeper collaboration to secure pharmaceutical supply chains.  The leaders encouraged their administrations to continue their strong collaboration on pandemic preparedness, supported by epidemiology training; laboratory strengthening and point of entry surveillance; and food safety and regulation.  The leaders applauded collaborations between research institutes of both countries on affordable cancer technology programs, including for the development of AI enabled diagnostic and prognosis prediction tools, and on diabetes research.  The leaders committed to holding a U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue, hosted by President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, to bring experts together from both countries to identify concrete areas of collaboration to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer. They also called for expanded collaboration on digital health platforms including responsible use of cutting-edge technologies like AI, and to explore cooperation in research and the use of traditional medicine. President Biden lauded Prime Minister Modi’s plan to eliminate tuberculosis in India by 2025, five years ahead of the target set by the UN’s sustainable development goals, hailing it as a big step forward that will inspire other countries to action.   53.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the opportunity for deeper collaboration to secure, de-risk, and strengthen pharmaceutical supply chains, with a focus on active pharmaceutical ingredients, key starting materials, and key vaccine input materials. They also underscored the need for strengthening global collaboration network on research and development in medical countermeasures,  vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to promote access to safe, effective, and innovative medical products in an affordable manner.   54.      President Biden and Prime Minister Modi committed to work toward a broader and deeper bilateral drug policy framework for the 21 st century.  Under this framework, both countries aspire to expand cooperation and collaboration to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of illicit drugs, including synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl and Amphetamine Type Stimulants and illicit use of their Precursors. Toward this end, they committed to a holistic public health partnership to prevent and treat illicit drug use, address workforce shortages and skilling requirements, and showcase a secure, resilient, reliable and growing pharmaceutical supply chain as a model for the world.   55.      Prime Minister Modi conveyed his deep appreciation for the repatriation of antiquities to India by the United States.  Both sides expressed strong interest in working quickly toward a Cultural Property Agreement, which would help to prevent illegal trafficking of cultural property from India and enhance cooperation on the protection and lawful exchange of cultural property.   56.      The Leaders welcomed the establishment of the Tamil Studies Chair at the University of Houston and reinstating the Vivekananda Chair at the University of Chicago to further research and teaching of India’s history and culture.   57.      Prime Minister Modi looked forward to the visit of President Biden to the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in September 2023.   58.      Taken together, the leaders today affirmed that this document, in its breadth and depth,  represents the most expansive and comprehensive vision for progress in the history of our bilateral relationship.  Still, our ambitions are to reach ever greater heights, and we commit both our governments and our peoples to this endeavor, now and into the future.

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District of Columbia Retirement Board

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2023 Cost of Living Adjustment Notices for Washington, D.C. Public School Teachers, Police Officers, and Firefighters Are Available

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 23, 2023 – On February 6, 2023, the DC Department of Human Resources (DCHR) announced the 2023 cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for retirees and survivors receiving annuities under the District of Columbia Police Officers and Firefighters’ Retirement Plan (Police and Firefighters’ Plan) and the District of Columbia Teachers’ Retirement Plan (Teachers’ Plan).

In accordance with the changes in the Consumer Price Index applicable to the Plans during calendar year 2022, Teachers’ Plan annuitants hired before November 1, 1996, will receive a COLA of 6.3 percent, and those annuitants hired on or after November 1, 1996, will receive a COLA subject to a 3.0 percent cap. Police/Fire Plan annuitants hired before November 10, 1996, will receive a COLA of 6.5 percent, and those annuitants hired on or after November 10, 1996, will receive a COLA subject to a 3.0 percent cap.

Annuitants who retired from either Plan after March 1, 2022, and before March 1, 2023, will receive a prorated amount of the appropriate percentage comparable to the number of months they were retired prior to March 1, 2023.

In accordance with the provisions of the applicable statutes, the effective date of these increases is March 1, 2023, and they are payable to eligible annuitants effective April 1, 2023.

For more detailed information about the COLAs related to each Plan, you may download and open the PDF attached below.

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FY2023 Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) Annual Report

In March 2021, the Federal Government passed the American Rescue Plan which awarded $50,000,000 to the District of Columbia from the US Treasury for the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) to aid homeowners who experienced an economic hardship due to the pandemic.

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DC Public Education Master Facilities Plan 2023 FAQ

The following document provides answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the DC Public Education Master Facilities Plan 2023. This has been updated with questions asked during the May 2023 MFP town halls.

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National HIV Testing Day 2023

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2023 THEME:  Take the Test & Take the Next Step #HIVTESTINGDAY

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) was first observed on June 27, 1995. This is a day to encourage people to  get tested for HIV , know their status, and get linked to care and treatment. 

• DC Health Representative interview 
• The Women's Collective HIV Testing Event - Incentives provided to women who meet testing criteria - Snacks, swag, and community giveaways.  June 27; 10 am -  3 pm CVS 845 Bladensburg Rd, NE  
• POP-UP TESTING! June 27 Free HIV and Hep C Testing 10 am:   Good Hope Road and 13th Streets, SE 12 pm: Starburst Plaza  - Hechinger Mall 2 pm: Howard Theater: 7th and T Streets, NW  - Shaw
• Find an HIV Testing Location Near You

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In the U.S., 180 days of school is most common, but length of school day varies by state

School has started in most of the United States. On average, K-12 public schools will be in session close to 180 days this year, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of  data from the Education Commission of the States .

But as with many things involving public education, there is considerable state-by-state variation in how much schooling children will receive – and even how much time constitutes a day of school.

Every state sets rules for the minimum amount of time school must be in session. The minimum is usually some combination of days and hours per year and hours per day; state policies also establish how much, if any, non-instructional time – such as lunch, recess and class changes – can count toward those minimums. Individual districts set their own calendars based on those statewide rules, unless they obtain a waiver.

The most common way that states regulate instructional time is to set a minimum number of days for the school year; 38 states and the District of Columbia do so. The majority of those states (27 of 38), along with D.C., mandate 180 instructional days, making it the closest thing the country has to a national norm.

To better understand how school instructional time varies across the United States, Pew Research Center analyzed information on state laws and regulations compiled by the  Education Commission of the States , a nonprofit research organization that serves education policymakers throughout the country. We double-checked the ECS data against the relevant state statutes, rules and policies, updating it as necessary.

Many states’ rules differ depending on grade level, so we chose to look at annual and daily instructional time requirements for four specific grade levels: kindergarten (half-day and full-day, when appropriate), fourth grade, eighth grade and 11th grade. The idea was to get a sense for how instructional time at standard, five-day-a-week public schools compares at each of the major levels of K-12 education – kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and high school. That said, states vary considerably in how much, if any, non-instructional time (such as lunch, recess and class changes) can count toward those minimums.

Some states set separate requirements for how many days or hours districts must schedule versus how many they must operate . (The difference often reflects built-in days for teacher training, weather-related closures and the like.) In such cases, we used the minimum number of days or hours districts must schedule to meet their state’s calendar requirements.

While most of this analysis is based on 2023 data, we also examined similar data for five earlier years. The 2013 and 2014 compilations were also published by the Education Commission on the States. Data for 1989, 2000 and 2018 came from the  National Center for Education Statistics . While these earlier datasets provided some illuminating context, they proved too different from one another to permit direct year-over-year comparisons.

Which states require the fewest school days? The most?

Seven states set minimums less than 180 days, with Colorado having the lowest requirement at 160 days. Four states require more than 180 days, with Kansas as the leader. The Sunflower State mandates 186 days for kindergarten through 11th grade (and 181 days for 12th grade). Overall, the average requirement, among the states that have one, is 179 days.

A minimum school year of 180 days has been the norm for a long time. In August 1989, 33 states and D.C. had 180-day requirements, according to  a 1992 report from the National Center for Education Statistics . Only one state required more school days that year (Ohio, with 182), while 12 required fewer. The remaining states either had no minimum day requirement or set a range of 175 to 180 days.

How many hours in a school day – or a school year?

Besides setting a minimum number of days, states can regulate school time by mandating a certain number of hours or minutes per school year. Thirty-nine states have these types of laws or policies, according to the Education Commission of the States. (Some states, in fact, give districts the option of meeting either type of minimum – by days or time per year. Oklahoma, for instance, allows school districts to schedule 180 standard school days or spread out 1,080 hours over 165 days.)

In a majority of those states (26 of 39), annual time minimums vary by grade level. For example, South Dakota sets an annual minimum of 875 hours per year for fourth graders but requires 962.5 hours of school for eighth graders.

Across all states that specify annual time minimums, the average for fourth graders is 997.8 hours per school year. For 11th graders, the number of hours required in a school year ranges from 720 hours (including lunch) in Arizona to 1,260 in Texas (though that state expresses its requirements in minutes, not hours). The average requirement for 11th graders, among the 39 states that have one, is 1,034.8 hours per year.

Another option is to require a certain number of hours or minutes per school day, which 29 states and D.C. do. In 16 of those states, the requirements vary by grade level. In Pennsylvania, for example, the minimum length for a school day is 2.5 hours for kindergarten, 5 hours for first through eighth grades, and 5.5 hours for ninth through 12th grades.

For eighth graders, the school day can contain as few as 3 hours in Maryland and Missouri, or as many as 6.5 in Tennessee. New Hampshire and Oregon, intriguingly, set  maximums  for the length of the school day – in the case of eighth graders, 6 hours in New Hampshire and 8 hours in Oregon. And as with annual time requirements, states vary on how and whether to count lunch, recess and other non-classroom time.

Texas is unique in that it only sets a minimum number of  minutes  in the school year – 75,600, or 1,260 hours, including intermissions and recess – which districts are free to distribute as they choose. In the past, however, Texas mandated 7 hours per school day, including intermissions, recesses and other non-instructional time. If Texas school districts continue to follow that older convention, that would work out to a school year of … 180 days.

Minimum number of hours in a school year, 2023

Minimum number of hours in a school day, 2023.

Drew DeSilver is a senior writer at Pew Research Center

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