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Biden hosts India's Modi for state visit, navigating critical relationship amid human rights concerns

Updated on: June 22, 2023 / 7:37 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Washington — President Biden emphasized the power of democracies on Thursday as he hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, boasting of the collaborations between the two nations on "nearly every human endeavor" while stressing that universal human rights remain vital to the success of both the U.S. and India.

In a news conference Thursday, Mr. Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India "among the most consequential in the world" and "stronger, closer and more dynamic than at any time in history." He underscored how two of the world's most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying that the U.S-India economic relationship was "booming."

But standing alongside Modi, who has come under criticism from human rights advocates, Mr. Biden also emphasized the importance of press and religious freedoms. "The bottom line is simple," he said. "We want people everywhere to have the opportunity to live in dignity."

A question about his handling of human rights was the first Modi took from a journalist in a press conference since he became prime minister in 2014. A Wall Street Journal reporter asked Modi what steps he and his government are willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities and to uphold free speech.

"When you talk of democracy, if there are no human values and there is no humanity, there are no human rights, then it's not a democracy," Modi said, through a translator. "And that is why when you say democracy and you accept democracy and when we live democracy, then there is absolutely no space for discrimination. ... That is why, in India's democratic values, there is absolutely no discrimination, either on basis of caste, creed, age or any kind of geographic location." 

Mr. Biden and Modi devoted the state visit to launching new partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and more sectors as they look to strengthen their countries' crucial — albeit complicated — relationship.

Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd — including many members of the Indian diaspora — broke out in a chant of "Modi, Modi, Modi."

"All eyes are on the two largest democracies in the world, India and America," Modi said as the leaders met in the Oval Office. "I believe that our strategic partnership is important. I'm confident that working together will be successful."

At the earlier welcoming ceremony, Mr. Biden said he believes the U.S.-India relationship "will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. Since I've become president, we've continued to build a relationship built on mutual trust, candor and respect."

But as Mr. Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president's decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nine-year tenure over the world's biggest democracy has seen a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms.

Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and the enormity of climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues.

Still, Mr. Biden said at the start of his Oval Office meeting with Modi that he wanted the partnership to be "grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of law."

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the president intended to raise his concerns but avoid lecturing the prime minister. 

"The question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians," Sullivan said. "It's not going to be determined by the United States." He said "our part is to speak out on behalf of universal values."

Among the announcements made Thursday was an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones.

The Biden administration also is coming out with plans to bolster India's semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials is announcing it will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers.

On the space front, India will sign on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA's lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year.

"We made critical and emerging technologies the pillar of our next generation partnership to ensure these technologies promote and protect our values, remain open, accessible, trusted and secure," Mr. Biden added. "All this matters for America, for India and for the world."

The State Department will also announce plans to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will reopen its consulate in Seattle.

At the welcoming ceremony, Modi called the Indian diaspora in America — the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. — "the real strength" of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit — the first in the U.S. for India since Barack Obama honored Modi's predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 — reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide.

Modi, the son of a tea seller who rose to be India's premier, also recalled that the first time he visited the White House was three decades ago as a "common man."

"I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers," Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000.

Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the country's citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of India's top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modi's surname.

In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modi's visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered.

A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Mr. Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit.

"It is an important country to me, and we must call out some of the real issues that are threatening the viability of democracy in all of our countries," said Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, who was born in India and helped organize the lawmakers' letter. "If India continues to backslide, I think it will affect our ability to have a really strong relationship with the country."

Mr. Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russia's war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil.

White House officials note that there are signs of change in India's relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhi's biggest defense supplier.

India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, Britain and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia.

State visits typically are reserved for America's closest allies, but they also have been used in the past as a carrot to try to strengthen relationships with countries with which the United States has had complicated relationships.

Modi's busy itinerary on Thursday also included an address to Congress and a lavish White House state dinner .

"There are millions here who have roots in India," Modi told the joint meeting of Congress Thursday afternoon. "Some of them sit proudly in this chamber. And there is one behind me," he added, nodding to Vice President Kamala Harris and prompting a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats alike. 

• Narendra Modi
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Biden welcomes Indian Prime Minister Modi for state visit

Modi's trip to Washington, though, isn't without controversy.

President Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet Thursday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India for the third state visit of his presidency.

The visit will put on full display the "deep and close partnership" between the U.S. and India, the White House said, despite concerns India's democratic principles have eroded under Modi's leadership.

The relationship has been described by Biden as "one of the most important" of this century as the U.S. rebalances its foreign policy focus to the Indo-Pacific in the face of an increasingly aggressive China. Just ahead of Modi's visit, President Biden suggested Chinese President Xi Jinping was a "dictator."

"There's a strategic imperative in the region," Tanvi Madan, the director of The India Project at the Brookings Institution, told ABC News. "Multiple administrations have seen India as a geopolitical counterbalance, an economic alternative and a democratic contrast to China."

The two leaders greeted each other warmly on the South Lawn in a welcome featuring marching bands and honor guards, despite rainy weather. Vice President Kamala Harris, the first person of Indian descent in her role, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff were also there to greet the prime minister.

"The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together, and we are," Biden said.

Modi said the partnership between the U.S. and India "will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world."

Biden and Modi met in the Oval Office and appeared side by side at a brief news conference in the East Room, a rarity for Modi who only held his first-ever press conference in India in 2019 after being in power for five years.

MORE: World population reaches 8 billion, India to overtake China to become most populated country

Modi also appeared on Capitol Hill to address a joint meeting of Congress before a state dinner at the White House Thursday night.

The prime minister received a standing ovation as he entered the chamber to chants of "Modi, Modi" from members, though a handful of progressive Democrats boycotted the speech, citing reports of human rights abuses.

Modi took a moment to note those in the chamber who have Indian roots, turning to point to Vice President Harris seated behind him whom he celebrated as having "made history."

"We come from different circumstances and history, but we are united by a common vision. And, by a common destiny," Modi told lawmakers in closing. "When our partnership progresses, economic resilience increases, innovation grows, science flourishes, knowledge advances, humanity benefits, our seas and skies are safer, democracy will shine brighter and the world will be a better place."

About 400 guests are expected to attend the dinner, the White House said, which will include a plant-based menu and a mixture of American and Indian decor. There will be performances from American violinist Joshua Bell and from Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group from the University of Pennsylvania.

Modi's trip to Washington, though, isn't without controversy as the prime minister's been criticized for a rise in violence against religious minorities as well as a crackdown on the press and dissenters.

Some democracy watchdogs have downgraded India's rating in recent years. The U.S.-based Freedom House rated India as "partly free" in its 2023 report, and the Sweden-based Varieties of Democracy called India an "electoral autocracy."

"He's got a mixed record," Richard Rossow, chair U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said of Modi. "We do see at times he feels politically weak domestically, he's initiated steps that directly or indirectly seem to stoke the fears of religious intolerance by him and his party. And we've also seen crackdown on civil society to some extent."

Human rights advocates and at least 70 lawmakers called on Biden to directly address human rights violations during Modi's visit. Experts told ABC News any human rights or democratic issues will likely be taken up in private between the two leaders.

Biden was asked during the news conference about those who've criticized his administration as overlooking such human rights concerns in hosting Modi.

"Look, the prime minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values," Biden responded. That's the nature of our relationship, we're straightforward with each other and we respect each other."

"I believe that we believe in the dignity of every citizen and it is in America's and I believe in India's DNA that the whole world, the whole world has a stake in our success," the president continued. "Both of us, in maintaining our democracies, make us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across, around the world."

Modi, meanwhile, sidestepped a question on recent allegations of human right abuses as he claimed in India "there's absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of cast, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location."

"I'm actually really surprised that people say so," the prime minister said as he defended his government. "Indeed, India is a democracy ... democracy is in our DNA. democracy is our spirit. democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy."

Also at issue during the trip was Russia. India, which has long relied on Russian oil and weapons, has avoided outrightly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But experts noted Modi's slight change in tone when it comes to Russia's invasion, such as his recent statements on the importance of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"Both Washington and New Delhi understand that they will not necessarily see eye to eye on Russia," Kenneth Juster, who served as the U.S. ambassador to India during the Trump administration, told ABC News. "But they can discuss that issue candidly with each other, and it is not going to have a negative impact on their broader strategic partnership."

A senior Biden official said the White House would "engage actively" with India on issues related to Russia and Ukraine, specifically India's efforts to diversify away from Russian military equipment.

MORE: 2,000 trauma operations in a year: Inside Ukraine's leading battlefield hospital

Talks between Biden and Modi also included trade, climate and space.

The two leaders announced a number of new commitments, including a joint space mission as well as various investments in technology, defense and clean energy.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking to the U.S.-India Business Council last week, touted trade between the two nations reached a record $191 billion. Blinken noted the U.S. is India's largest trading partner, and Indian companies invested more than $40 billion in the U.S. in IT, pharmaceuticals and more.

Though Juster said be believed there is still more work to do to advance on the trade front ahead of the state visit.

"For the world's largest economy, the United States, and its fifth largest economy, India, I believe that their bilateral trade relationship does not fulfill all of its potential. I am hoping that the two countries can continue to advance their trade and investment relationship both bilaterally and regionally, because economic issues are so important in the Indo-Pacific and China has a robust economic strategy for the region," he said.

Prior to landing in Washington, Modi met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk as well as other business leaders and health care experts.

He also marked International Day of Yoga by participating in a group session on the lawn of the United Nations headquarters.

The last time Modi visited the U.S. was in 2019, when he appeared alongside former President Donald Trump at a "Howdy Modi" rally in Texas attended by tens of thousands of people.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.

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In photos: President Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Modi during state visit

By Washington Post Staff | Jun 22, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India is visiting President Biden at the White House for a state visit featuring both fanfare and substance, highlighting the growing importance of the U.S.-India relationship at a time of geopolitical turmoil.

Tom Brenner for The Washington Post

Biden and Modi walk toward the Oval Office.

Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post

Biden and Modi during their meeting in the Oval Office.

White House aides say the packed schedule — including a long list of expected agreements on issues including technology, trade and defense — reflects India’s increasingly prominent role in global affairs and Washington’s desire to boost ties with the world’s most populous nation, in part as a bulwark against China.

Biden, Modi and Jill Biden wave from the White House balcony.

Modi, who is just the third world leader Biden has hosted for a state visit, is seeking to bolster his country’s global standing, which White House officials say could in turn benefit U.S. interests.

Modi and Biden approach Vice President Harris during the official state visit on the South Lawn of the White House.

A girl plays with U.S. and Indian flags on the South Lawn during the state visit ceremony.

The trip marks the third official state visit for any foreign leader during Biden’s presidency, following similar events for French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Modi, who addressed U.S. lawmakers in 2016, is one of only a handful of world leaders who have been invited twice to address a joint meeting of Congress.

Biden and Modi embrace during the ceremony.

During a raucous arrival ceremony Thursday morning with thousands of chanting supporters, Biden hailed Modi and touted the “limitless possibilities” of the U.S.-India relationship. “Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century,” Biden said.

Modi and Biden enter the East Room of the White House for a joint news conference.

The White House press corps listen to a translation during the news conference.

Biden speaks during the news conference as Modi looks on. Despite the pomp and pageantry, the visit is not without controversy. Human rights groups, lawmakers and scholars have written open letters to the White House and published opinion pieces in top U.S. media outlets calling out the erosion of democratic principles in India on Modi’s watch.

Modi speaks during the East Room news conference. The prime minister’s visit comes at a notable time for Indian Americans. Besides Harris, the vice president, two Republican presidential candidates are also of Indian descent: former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Harris arrives for Modi's address before a joint meeting of Congress.

Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) arrives for the address. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), left, talks to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) gives a thumbs-up before the address. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) chat. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Bera has a conversation with Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.) before the address. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Modi greets lawmakers before delivering his remarks.

Modi shakes hands with a lawmaker.

Modi receives a standing ovation during a joint meeting of Congress.

Minh Connors/The Washington Post

Modi speaks to Congress.

A view of the House chamber.

Audience members cheer during Modi's speech.

Modi addresses Congress.

Modi waves to supporters after his speech.

Modi takes photos with members of Congress.

Biden and the first lady greet Modi as he arrives at the White House for the state dinner.

Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google parent Alphabet, and his wife, Anjali Pichai, arrive for the state dinner.

Ting Shen/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Billie Jean King, left, and her wife, Ilana Kloss, arrive at the White House.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Huma Abedin, right, former longtime assistant and aide to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, arrives with her sister, Heba Abedin.

Julia Nikhinson/Reuters

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Emily Norris McCarthy. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky Lauren.

Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi.

The Bidens and Modi walk down the Grand Staircase at the White House.

Biden listens to an interpreter as he offers a toast during the state dinner for Modi.

Susan Walsh/AP

Biden and Modi toast during the state dinner.

Biden welcomes Modi to the White House ahead of the state dinner.

Yuri Gripas/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The president and the first lady chat with Modi outside the White House.

Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

The first lady shakes hands with Modi.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Denied a U.S. visa in 2005 over deadly religious riots in his home state, Modi came to Washington for a state visit that will highlight his change in fortune and growing global clout, even as concerns about human rights and democratic erosion in India are intensifying across the nation he now leads.

Evan Vucci/AP

For Biden, the visit underscores both the promise of strengthening ties with the world’s most populous nation and the peril of positioning his presidency as a pivotal force in the global battle between autocracy and democracy.

With Modi leading the world’s largest democracy while overseeing trends that human rights groups say undermine democratic principles, Biden’s decision to host a state visit risks undermining one of his key campaign messages against Donald Trump in 2020.

India is emerging as an increasingly vital player in a region the United States has prioritized in its foreign policy — a potential bulwark against China and an increasingly powerful actor in sectors including technology, defense and the arts.

The pomp and pageantry of a state visit will allow Biden and Modi to mark a moment of recognition for the Indian diaspora on the global stage, with hundreds of business leaders, policymakers, celebrities and scholars set to gather at the White House.

Praise for the relationship — and for Modi himself — has only seemed to intensify since Biden took office.

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

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Photo editing and production by Stephen Cook

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Biden Seeks to Bolster Ties With Modi While Soft-Pedaling Differences

At the White House, the president emphasized common ground with India’s prime minister and announced joint initiatives without making progress in enlisting help against Russian aggression.

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Biden Welcomes Indian Prime Minister to the White House

President biden and prime minister narendra modi of india emphasized cooperation between the two countries during a state visit..

[music] Crowd: “Modi, Modi, Modi.” I’ve long believed that the relationship between the United States and India is one that — will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. Two proud nations, two proud nations whose love of freedom secured our independence, bound by the same words in our Constitution. First three words. We the people.

By Peter Baker

Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent, has traveled with two American presidents to India. He reported from Washington.

• June 22, 2023

President Biden emphasized common ground with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India during a lavish state visit on Thursday, publicly skirting points of friction over the government’s crackdown on human rights in India and Russia’s war in Ukraine in hopes of bolstering economic and geopolitical ties with the world’s most populous nation.

The president treated Mr. Modi to a day of red-carpet pageantry and showered him with expansive flattery as he sought to draw India closer at a time when the United States finds itself locked in open conflict with Moscow and in an uneasy standoff with China. But even as the leaders announced a range of initiatives, they made no evident progress resolving the disagreements that have strained the relationship in recent months.

The visit’s most surprising breakthrough was a modest if notable one as Mr. Biden coaxed Mr. Modi into taking questions from reporters at a joint news conference, one of the rare times the nationalist prime minister has done so in his nearly decade-long tenure. Challenged on his record on human rights and religious freedom, Mr. Modi insisted that democracy is “in India’s DNA” and denied that his government has fostered prejudice in serving its people.

“Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy,” Mr. Modi said as Mr. Biden watched in the East Room of the White House. “In India’s democratic values, there’s absolutely no discrimination neither on basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location,” Mr. Modi added, even as demonstrators outside the White House gates protested the crackdown on dissent back in India.

Translator: India and America, both countries, democracy is in our DNA. In India’s democratic values, there is absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of caste, creed or age, or any kind of geographic location.

While Mr. Biden shied away from criticism of India’s democratic backsliding, he stood by his characterization of President Xi Jinping of China as a “dictator” during a campaign fund-raiser earlier this week. Avoiding “the facts with regard to” China, he told reporters, “is just not something I’m going to change very much.” But he shrugged off the protests from Beijing, saying that he still expected to meet with Mr. Xi later this year despite his remark. “I don’t think it’s had any real consequence.”

The state visit for Mr. Modi was the latest move on the geopolitical chess board as Mr. Biden seeks more allies against increasingly aggressive governments in Moscow and Beijing. India, which remained staunchly nonaligned during the Cold War, has refused to join the American-led coalition aiding Ukraine in its war against invading Russian forces. And while India shares a certain enmity for China, it has not fully subscribed to Washington’s strategy for restraining the Asian giant in the Indo-Pacific region or defending Taiwan against aggression.

In cultivating Mr. Modi, who before becoming prime minister was denied a U.S. visa because of his role in a deadly religious riot in his home state, Mr. Biden put aside his language about “democracy versus autocracy” being the defining struggle of his time. In his welcome remarks and the later appearance before reporters, Mr. Biden described the two countries as fellow democracies committed to universal values without directly mentioning the increasing suppression of minority groups and opposition voices in India.

Officials previewing the visit said the president would raise human rights issues during his private meetings with Mr. Modi, but in briefing reporters they used the word “respectful” more than once to characterize Mr. Biden’s approach. In their moments before cameras together on Thursday, Mr. Biden pronounced America’s partnership with India “the most consequential in the world.”

Mr. Modi offered no indication that he had changed his mind about Russia or China, much less about human rights at home. Indeed, during an address to a joint session of Congress after meeting with the president, Mr. Modi avoided even using the words “Russia” or “China,” sticking to passive formulations.

“With the Ukraine conflict, war has returned to Europe,” he said, without saying who started the war. And he warned of “dark clouds of coercion and confrontation” that are “casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific” without saying who was doing the coercing or the confronting.

Pre-empting criticism, Mr. Modi portrayed India as the “mother of democracy,” as he put it, using the word “democracy” at 17 times in an hourlong speech. “We are home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them,” he said, without mentioning repression of Muslims and other minorities.

Cheered on by supporters who packed the House galleries, interrupted his speech with applause dozens of times and chanted “Modi! Modi!” as if it were a campaign rally, the prime minister rattled off a series of statistics about India’s progress in recent years.

Among other things, the prime minister pointedly noted that his country has grown from the world’s 10th largest economy when he last addressed Congress in 2016 to the fifth largest today, almost as if determined to force the United States to see India as a near equal, not just an emerging power, but a great and rising one.

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.

Despite his warm greeting in the chamber, several liberal Democrats in Congress boycotted Mr. Modi’s speech. “A joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honors the United States Congress can extend,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York wrote on Twitter . “We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records.”

Analysts expressed skepticism about Mr. Biden’s strategy. “The ease with which the Biden administration cast aside its commitment to supporting democracy over autocracy was breathtaking in its eagerness to please Prime Minister Modi,” said Meenakshi Ahamed, author of “A Matter of Trust,” a history of ties between Indian leaders and American presidents.

But she said she doubted that it would do much good. “If the U.S. expects that it can flatter Modi into security commitments in the Indo-Pacific that will translate into military support against China if Taiwan becomes a conflict zone, the U.S. is deluding itself and has failed to understand what drives Indo-U. S. relations.”

Mr. Biden celebrated India’s rise with a display of pomp and circumstance on the South Lawn complete with marching bands, honor guards and a 21-gun salute. He wrapped up the day of meetings with a gala state dinner, only the third of his presidency, in a pavilion behind the White House draped in green with saffron-colored flowers at every table, the colors of the Indian flag. Lotus blossoms, an important symbol in India, were incorporated throughout the décor and images of the bald eagle and the peacock, the national birds of the two countries, were displayed as the backdrop for the leaders’ toasts.

“Two great nations, two great friends and two great powers,” Mr. Biden said in his toast.

The White House offered a meal of stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy saffron-infused risotto in accordance with Mr. Modi’s vegetarian diet, with an optional fish entree for those who requested it. Joshua Bell, the Grammy-winning violinist, was tapped to perform, along with Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Marine Band chamber orchestra.

Among the guests was Hunter Biden , the president’s son who struck an agreement with prosecutors this week to plead guilty to a pair of misdemeanor tax crimes, resolving a yearlong investigation that did not validate the more sensational charges of influence peddling lodged by Republicans. Also included was Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who denounced the plea agreement as a sweetheart deal . The president ignored a question shouted at him about the case.

India, whose population recently surpassed China’s to lead the world , represents perhaps the most important of the so-called Global South nations that Mr. Biden is pursuing, both for its economic potential as well as for its geopolitical position. And Mr. Modi, without directly referring to that in his remarks at the arrival ceremony, nonetheless alluded to India’s growing power, mentioning its population of 1.4 billion three times in just a few minutes.

“I’ve long believed that the relationship between the United States and India will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century,” Mr. Biden told a crowd gathered on the South Lawn on a gloomy overcast morning as the events got underway, “two proud nations whose love of freedom secured our independence, bound by the same words in our Constitution, the first three words, ‘we the people.’”

Mr. Modi, dressed in a traditional long vest known as an achkan, thanked Mr. Biden for the honor of a state visit and likewise suggested the two nations could tackle international challenges in tandem. “In the post-Covid era, the world order is taking a new shape,” he said in Hindi. “In this time period, the friendship between India and the U.S. will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world.”

To mark their ties, the two leaders rolled out a long list of joint initiatives on telecommunications, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and other areas. Mr. Modi agreed to sign the Artemis Accords, a set of principles governing peaceful exploration of the moon, Mars and other celestial bodies, and the two announced a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. The United States and India will open additional consulates in each other’s country.

Among the most concrete agreements highlighted on Thursday was a deal between General Electric and the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to manufacture in India F414 engines used to power the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The two sides also announced that India would proceed with a long-stalled $3 billion purchase of MQ-9B Predator drones from General Atomics.

The military hardware sales may help wean India off Russian arms suppliers. Biden administration officials suggested the meeting was just one step in an evolution of India’s stance on the Ukraine war, part of what they characterized as “bending the arc of India’s engagement.”

But Mr. Modi again stressed the need for “dialogue and diplomacy,” adding that “we are completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace,” without condemning Russia’s unprovoked invasion of a neighboring country.

Mr. Biden made no effort in public to pressure Mr. Modi on the matter. Instead, he concentrated on cementing bonds, pointing to the prevalence of Indian Americans in prominent positions in Washington. “We see it here at the White House where proud Americans of Indian heritage serve our country every day — including our vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris,” he said, turning to Ms. Harris standing off to the side.

Ms. Harris, who will host Mr. Modi for lunch on Friday, traces her Indian background to her mother, who emigrated to the United States as a teenager. Mr. Biden cited the story of “a family like so many of ours in our nation that speaks to the thousands of stories of determination, courage and hope.”

Damien Cave contributed reporting.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly characterized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s joint news conference with President Biden. It was a rare time that Mr. Modi has taken questions from reporters at a news conference during his nine years leading India, but not the first time.

How we handle corrections

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent and has covered the last five presidents for The Times and The Washington Post. He is the author of seven books, most recently “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” with Susan Glasser. More about Peter Baker

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Biden and Modi meet Apple, Google CEOs and other executives as Indian premier wraps state visit

President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi toasted the partnership between the U.S. and India at Thursday evening’s state dinner at the White House. (June 23)

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi open the final day of the Indian PM’s four-day visit by meeting with leading tech executives. Among those on hand for White House meeting were Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. (June 23)

President Joe Biden speaks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, left, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, second from left, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi listen during a meeting with President Joe Biden and American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, listens at right. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. From left, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Modi, Biden, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a meeting with President Joe Biden and American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. From left, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Modi and Biden. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens during a meeting with President Joe Biden and American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, listens during a meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Joe Biden and other business leaders in the East Room of the White House, Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday joined top American and Indian executives in talks to increase cooperation between the two countries on artificial intelligence, semiconductor production and space.

On the final day of Modi’s four-day state visit, the leaders put a spotlight on the “Innovation Handshake,” a new initiative aimed at addressing regulatory hurdles that stand in the way of partnership between the two countries.

“Our countries are taking innovation and cooperation to new levels,” Biden told the group, which included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “We’re going to see more technological change … in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years.”

White House officials say India’s deep talent pool will be crucial in building more resilient supply chains and developing technology to address climate change. All this comes as the administration has sought to put the U.S.-India relationship on a higher plane in the face of an ascendant China in the Indo-Pacific.

Modi commended Biden for seeing “the possibility that India represents.”

As part of Modi’s state’s visit — the first by an Indian leader since Manmohan Singh in 2009 — the two leaders announced several major investments by U.S.-based companies in India.

Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending more than $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers.

On the space front, India signed on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year.

Earlier this year, the two countries launched the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies , which sets the path for collaboration on semiconductor production, developing artificial intelligence, and a loosening of export control rules. The initiative was critical in sealing a deal, announced Thursday, that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines in India.

Despite all the deal-making and the free-flowing praise between the leaders, Modi’s visit was accompanied by controversy over India’s erosion of religious, press and political freedoms under his watch.

Human rights activists and some U.S. lawmakers had objected to the administration’s decision to honor Modi with a state visit. In an address to Congress and comments to the press, the prime minister pushed back against the notion that India has turned a blind eye to the mistreatment of its minority communities.

India has “proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion, gender,” Modi declared.

But at Friday’s White House press briefing, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby did not directly answer whether Biden was satisfied with Modi’s comments on human rights.

“The president was satisfied that he had the opportunity to discuss concerns over human rights with Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

Later at a State Department luncheon hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris, whose mother was Indian, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the U.S.-India relationship was celebrated further, and without reservation.

Blinken noted that Modi first came to the U.S. 30 years ago on a State Department exchange program and had been inspired by the “boldness” of America’s ambitions.

“We are working more closely on more issues than ever before,” Blinken said. “The energy, ambition and potential of our cooperation is boundless. The United States and India have become, as the prime minister said, indispensable partners.”

Harris said that her Indian grandfather, a retired government civil servant who took her on long walks with his friends when she visited, had interested her in a public service career.

“Stories about the freedom fighters and the nation’s founding heroes and about the independence of India,” she recalled. “I remember them talking about the importance of fighting corruption and fighting for equality regardless of one’s belief or caste.” These lessons “first inspired my interest in public service.”

Modi said the U.S. and India have been on “a long and beautiful journey” with unprecedented cooperation in defense and strategic areas as well as new trust in resolving longstanding trade issues.

He ended the trip with a triumphant speech to an auditorium of Indian-American business leaders. With Blinken sitting nearby, Modi recounted the trip’s successes and highlighted ongoing agreements for India to purchase U.S.-made planes and helicopters.

He said the U.S.-India defense partnership had “reached new heights” during his visit, to the happiness of both sides.

“When I spoke to Congress about this, there was no stopping the applause in the chamber,” he said.

Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant contributed to this report.

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Biden to host India’s Modi for state visit despite concerns over human rights

Invitation comes despite rising concerns about human rights and democratic backsliding under Modi’s leadership in India

Joe Biden will host India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi , for an official state visit on 22 June, the White House has announced, as the US works to deepen ties with the world’s largest democracy.

The state visit, the highest level of diplomatic reception, will boost the US and India’s “shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific”, the White House said.

The invitation comes despite rising concerns about human rights and democratic backsliding under Modi’s Hindu nationalist leadership.

Modi’s government has been widely accused by political opponents and rights groups of seeking to target and silence critics .

Nonetheless, he is a leader much courted by the west: he will also be the guest of honor at the 14 July Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.

Asked about the issue of respect for freedoms and rights, the White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, said that Biden “never shies away” from having that conversation with leaders.

“We regularly engage with Indian government officials at senior levels on human rights concerns, including freedom of religion or belief,” she said.

Washington has long sought to boost India as a counterinfluence to an increasingly assertive China in Asia – and New Delhi, worried about Beijing’s buildup on the other side of its border, has also sought to build ties.

But Ukraine has emerged as a stumbling point in the partnership. India, a longtime military ally of Russia, has called for an end to hostilities, but has never condemned the Russian invasion.

It will be the first state visit by Modi to the US. He visited Biden at the White House in 2021 as part of the Quad summit bringing together the US, Australia, Japan and India.

This time India is understood to have sought the highest level of protocol for a head of state. The trip will include a state dinner.

New Delhi welcomed the visit as “historic”, and hailed the chance to build collaboration with Washington and to “discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement”.

Under the Biden administration, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was the first to be welcomed for a state visit, complete with military honors and a gala dinner.

More recently, the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was also hosted for such a visit, with the two allies issuing a stern warning to North Korea over nuclear weapons.

Modi’s visit will strengthen the two countries’ “shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy and space”, the White House added in its statement.

Education, the climate crisis, development and health security are also on the agenda.

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India’s Modi gets a state visit with Biden, but the glitz is shadowed by human rights concerns

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President Biden emphasized the power of democracies on Thursday as he hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, boasting of the collaborations between the two nations on “nearly every human endeavor” while stressing that universal human rights remain vital to the success of both the U.S. and India.

In a news conference Thursday, Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India “among the most consequential in the world, that is stronger, closer and more dynamic than at any time in history.” He underscored how two of the world’s most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, healthcare and space, saying that the U.S.-India economic relationship was “booming.”

“On the issues that matter most that will define the future, our nations look to one another, including on critical regional and global issues,” Biden said in his opening remarks.

But standing alongside Modi, who has come under criticism from human rights advocates, Biden also emphasized that press, religious and other fundamental freedoms should be at the core of how both democracies operate. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden said, he and Modi had a “good discussion about democratic values” while Modi said “there’s absolutely no space for discrimination” when pressed about his own commitment on human rights.

“Democracy is our spirit,” Modi said through an interpreter. “Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept.” He said India has “proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion.”

The two leaders were devoting Modi’s state visit Thursday to launching new partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and more sectors as they look to strengthen their countries’ crucial — albeit complicated — relationship.

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Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcome ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd — including many members of the Indian diaspora — broke out in a chant of “Modi, Modi, Modi.”

“All eyes are on the two largest democracies in the world, India and America,” Modi said as the leaders met in the Oval Office. “I believe that our strategic partnership is important. I’m confident that working together will be successful.”

At the welcome ceremony, Biden said he believes the U.S.-India relationship “will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. Since I’ve become president, we’ve continued to build a relationship built on mutual trust, candor and respect.”

But as Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president’s decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nine-year tenure over the world’s biggest democracy has seen a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms.

Administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and the challenges of climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues.

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Still, Biden said at the start of their meeting that he wanted the partnership to be “grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of law.”

Among the announcements to be made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, according to senior Biden administration officials. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to preview agreements before they are announced.

The Biden administration also is coming out with plans to bolster India’s semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75-billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials is announcing it will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers.

On the space front, India will sign on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year.

“We made critical and emerging technologies the pillar of our next-generation partnership to ensure these technologies promote and protect our values, remain open, accessible, trusted and secure,” Biden added. “All this matters for America, for India and for the world.”

The State Department will also announce plans to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will reopen its consulate in Seattle.

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At the welcoming ceremony, Modi called the Indian diaspora — the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. — “the real strength” of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit — the first in the U.S. for India since President Obama honored Modi’s predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 — reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide.

Modi, the son of a tea seller who rose to be prime minister, also recalled that he first visited the White House three decades ago as a “common man.”

“I have come here many times, but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers,” Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000.

Despite the major deals, the visit will be shadowed by concerns laid out by rights activists and lawmakers who question Modi’s commitment to democratic principles.

Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending his country’s citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of India’s top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modi’s surname.

In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modi’s visa, citing concerns that, as chief minister of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered.

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A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms.

Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russia’s war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on United Nations resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil.

White House officials note that there are signs of change in India’s relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhi’s biggest defense supplier.

India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, Britain and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia.

State visits typically are reserved for America’s closest allies, but they also have been used as a carrot to try to strengthen relationships with countries with which the United States has had complicated relationships.

Modi’s itinerary Thursday includes an address to Congress and a lavish White House state dinner.

Modi, who hasn’t taken part in a formal news conference in years, agreed to participate in one with Biden. Typically, state visits include a news conference in which the leaders take questions from two members of the U.S. press and two from the visiting press corps.

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.

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Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Modi at White House

President Joe Biden welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Wednesday, hosting Modi for a private dinner ahead of a much larger state dinner scheduled for Thursday.

The Bidens and Modi were joined by White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan and National Security Advisor of India Ajit Doval for a meal "featuring a few of the President’s favorite foods, including pasta and ice cream," the White House said.

Before their dinner, Biden, first lady Jill Biden and Modi watched dancers from Studio Dhoom, a local Indian dance studio, perform a tribute to the regions of India.

The White House said that Modi would receive a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th century as an official gift from the president and first lady.

Biden will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman’s patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, the White House said, adding that Jill Biden would present Modi a signed, first edition copy of “Collected Poems of Robert Frost.”

Wednesday's dinner kicks off Modi’s visit to Washington, where the two leaders are expected to discuss deepening their countries’ defense ties and partnership in technology, as well as expanding cooperation on key global issues, including climate change, during Modi’s state visit to the U.S.

The visit comes as the Biden administration has been ramping up efforts to strengthen its relationship with India as it continues to expand its global influence.

"We don't believe there's really a partner that is more consequential to helping along those lines than India," John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, told reporters Tuesday.

The war in Ukraine and India’s relationship with Russia are also expected to be on the agenda, Kirby said.

In recent years, Russia's war in Ukraine and India's human rights record have strained relations between New Delhi and Washington. India, which maintains a neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, has not criticized Russia's invasion, and it continues to buy Russian oil , which has helped Moscow amid Western sanctions.

The U.S. and India, however, remain aligned on key aims, including countering China's influence in the region and globally.

Chinese and Indian troops have had several skirmishes along their border in recent years. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in June 2020  in hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese military, followed by another clash last December .

The White House said Modi's visit would also help strengthen the U.S.'s and India's commitment to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework , which the White House announced last year to counter China’s economic clout in the region.

Biden and Modi are meeting as concern over the future of India's democracy also continues to mount and as experts say the space to dissent from government policies continues to narrow .

In a letter to Biden this month, Elaine Pearson, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said India's human rights woes are "endangering" U.S.-India relations. "We strongly urge you to use your meetings with Prime Minister Modi to urge Modi to move his government and his party in a different direction," Pearson wrote.

Kirby did not directly address human rights concerns surrounding Modi's visit at his briefing Tuesday. He said Biden "routinely" discusses human rights concerns with foreign leaders and described human rights as a "foundational element" of Biden's foreign policy.

"The two leaders can speak for themselves after the meeting is over," Kirby said.

On Thursday, Modi is set to address a joint meeting of Congress before the state dinner. The White House said it expects 400 guests for the dinner, which will take place in a tented pavilion on the South Lawn.

“With this official state visit, we are bringing together the world’s oldest and the world’s largest democracies. After years of strengthening ties, the U.S.-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges," Jill Biden said in remarks previewing the event. “But our relationship isn’t only about the government. We’re celebrating the families and friendships that span the globe, those who feel the bonds of home, in both of our countries.”

Michael Mitsanas is a Los Angeles-based journalist. His reporting has appeared in The Diplomat Asia Pacific, NBC News, NBC OUT, NBC News NOW, and MSNBC.

Zoë Richards is the evening politics reporter for NBC News.

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PM Modi's historic US trip: All you need to know about ‘state visit’

The june 20-24 visit will be modi's sixth to the united states as india's pm, but his first official state visit to the country..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday left for his historic state visit to the United States. This will be his sixth US visit since coming to power in May 2014, but his first official state visit to the country. The trip will commence on June 20 and conclude on June 24, after which the prime minister will leave for another maiden state visit, to Egypt.

Also Read | Modi leaves for historic US visit: ‘Together we stand stronger’

What is a state visit.

It is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country. When a leader undertakes a state visit, the head of state of the destination country acts as the former's official host throughout the duration of the trip.

Such a visit always includes a state reception by the host for the guest. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, too, will host PM Modi for a state dinner.

Also, a state visit is usually reserved only for ‘closest friends and allies.’ It, therefore, signifies the highest expression of friendly bilateral ties between two sovereign nations.

How is a state visit different from an official visit?

The latter involves much less pomp and show than the former. An official visit, also sometimes known as official working visit or working visit, may include an official dinner, which, however, is nowhere near as glittering as a state dinner.

Also, a state visit is usually undertaken by a head of state, and not the head of government. Modi's trip, therefore, is significant as the President is the head of state in India, and the prime minister, the head of government. The US President is both the head of state and government.

Indian leaders and state visits to the US

Before Modi, only 2 Indian leaders have been hosted by the United States as an official state guest: President S Radhakrishnan in June 1963, and PM Manmohan Singh in November 2009.

Also Read | Modi in USA: 5 things to know about PM's upcoming state visit

Overall, as many as 9 Indian PMs have undertaken visits to the US: Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (4 trips each), Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi (3 each), PV Narasimha Rao (2), and Morarji Desai and IK Gujral (1 each). Singh, on the other hand, went there 8 times as India's premier.

Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail

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PM Modi to Make State Visit to US: What it Means and How it is Different | Explained

Curated By : Pritha Mallick

Last Updated: May 11, 2023, 23:33 IST

New Delhi, India

President of the U.S. Joe Biden speaks with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit opening session in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (Reuters)

PM Modi's upcoming visit marks the first official state visit by an Indian Prime Minister since Manmohan Singh's visit in November 2009

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a state visit to United States in June for the first time in nine years. The White House has announced that President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Modi for an official state visit to the US, which will include a state dinner on June 22.

“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 defence, clean energy and space,” the White House said.

In a statement on PM Modi’s first state visit to US after Biden became President, the Ministry of External Affairs said, Modi and Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, the White House has announced.

What is a State Visit?

PM Modi is scheduled to make his first state visit to the US, which is considered the highest expression of friendly bilateral ties between the two democracies. State visits are led by foreign heads of state acting in their sovereign capacity and are the highest rank in terms of diplomatic protocol.

A state visit requires a couple of days and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to address a joint session of the US Congress and a state dinner at the White House.

PM Modi last visited Washington in September 2021 for the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit where he also had a bilateral meeting with President Biden. Although PM Modi has visited the US seven times since being elected, none of those visits were considered official state visits, but rather official or working visits, with most of them coinciding with his trips to the UN in New York.

PM Modi’s upcoming visit marks the first official state visit by an Indian Prime Minister since Manmohan Singh’s visit in November 2009.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the US as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors. “The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defence, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections,” an official statement read.

Are All Visits by Foriegn Leader a State Visit?

No, not all visits by foreign leaders State visits in the US. According to Satow’s Diplomatic Practice (1917), State visits can only occur on the invitation of the US president, while official visits are usually made by the chief of government of a foreign state. A state banquet is held in honor of the visiting head of state, along with official public ceremonies, during their four-day stay in Washington.

US President Biden had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi for a State visit in February. The dates were not announced as the Prime Minister has packed domestic and international commitments along with the G20 summit.

The US Department of State website describes PM Modi’s previous visits as a “working visit” (2014), “working lunch” (2016), “official working visit” (2017), and his 2019 visit as “participated in a rally in Houston, Texas,” according to an Indian Express article.

PM Modi’s US State Visit: Eye on China, Ukraine Conflict

The White House on Thursday in a statement said US President Biden believes that America’s relationship with India is important and needs to be built. “This is a president who has had decades of experience in leader-to-leader relationships. This is an important relationship as we speak about the Indo-Pacific, as we talk about how to move forward in that region,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden headed to New York.

As China continues to increase its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, the US, India, and other world powers have emphasized the importance of maintaining a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. China’s claim to almost all of the disputed South China Sea is disputed by Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam, and has led to the construction of artificial islands and military installations by Beijing. Additionally, China has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea. China and its diplomats have criticised the Indo-Pacific concept from the outset, asserting that it is aimed at containing Beijing.

Speaking on “clear differences” between the US and India when it comes to Russia aggression and Ukraine conflict, the official said, “As we do with other nations around the world, we regularly engage with Indian government officials at senior levels on human rights concerns, including freedom of religion or belief. That is something that the president regularly does. We encourage all countries to uphold their human rights obligations, and commitments, and to work towards building inclusive societies.”

Others have viewed the State Visit is a big diplomatic gesture for the United States. “India was last honoured with a State Visit in 2009. That PM Modi is being honoured with only the third State Visit of the Biden Administration shows the respect and affection the American people have for a rising India,” Atul Keshap, the president of the US-India Business Council told PTI.

In response to China’s growing economic and military power, the US has strengthened its partnership with India to counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific and South Pacific regions. “The US recognizes the strategic importance of supporting India’s global rise. We see this in the Quad and in India’s Presidency of the G-20. This represents a larger vision of a cohesive US-Indo Pacific strategy that requires both countries to come closer together and overcome longstanding obstacles,” a person familiar with the matter told the news agency.

• Narendra Modi

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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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Press Briefing: Previewing State Visit of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Photo: Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images

Transcript — June 13, 2023

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Alex Kisling:  Well, good morning, everyone. My name is Alex Kisling, and I’m the vice president of communications here at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. And it’s a pleasure to have all of you joining us today for this press briefing previewing the upcoming state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have a terrific group of CSIS experts with us on the call today, each of whom will weigh in on the agenda and expectations for the state visit.

First to share his insights and analysis will be my colleague Rick Rossow, who serves as CSIS senior advisor and chair in U.S.-India policy studies. Rick has more than a decade and a half of experience working to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India in various roles, including serving as deputy director of the U.S.-India Business Council and director for South Asia at McLarty Associates, where he led the firm’s work for clients in India and the neighboring region.

Rick will be followed by Donald Camp, a nonresident adjunct fellow with our India chair, and a retired senior foreign service officer, who was most recently senior advisor on South and Central Asia at the U.S. mission to the United Nations. He also previously served as senior director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council, and as director of the Office of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka at the State Department, among other positions throughout East and South Asia.

And finally, we’ll hear from Neelima Jain, senior fellow and deputy director of the CSIS India Chair. Neelima has nearly two decades of experience working across India and internationally on energy efficiency, sustainable development, and environmental issues. She has also been recognized as one of the most influential people in U.K.-India relations.

So we have a great lineup. Each of these experts is going to provide opening remarks and then we’ll open it up to Q&A for the remainder of the call. We’ll have a transcript of this call available later today, which we’ll send around to everybody who RSVPed. And we’ll also post it online this afternoon.

So with that, Rick, why don’t you get us kicked off?

Richard M. Rossow:  Great. Thanks, Alex. I’ll offer a bit of a scene setter, looking at two elements of the relationship – looking at the state of our security partnership as well as the state of U.S.-India commercial ties. On security ties, we’ve really seen a pretty amazing transition in the last couple of decades. India still publicly declares, you know, at that time nonalignment. Today it’s kind of shifted to language of strategic autonomy. But that really is not exactly true when we focus on the main strategic threat that we both look at and share in the Indo-Pacific region, which is China.

On China, we found relatively easy to open up doors that may have been closed 10-15 years ago, and to begin to initiate a much deeper level of security cooperation than we’ve ever had in the past. India is still reluctant in some of the forums that we all follow – of course, this visit is taking place not long after the Quad had their leader’s summer on the sidelines of the G-7. And I know when we look at Quad and other regional initiatives, India has been one of the main reasons they’ve kind of avoided on having any kind of overt security partnership.

So you still see India a little reluctant to engage on security matters multilaterally but bilaterally, if you look at recent joint statements and, I think, a lot of the expectations for the upcoming summit defense and security are really kind of central to what we expect to see achieved next week in the visit.

It is – I would say, trying to define what this relationship is is like crossing the river by feeling pebbles with your feet. India is not nor do we expect anytime is going to become a treaty ally of the United States.

So you won’t have necessarily an overt security partnership but what you – what you will have is a new type of relationship where we’re trying to push the envelope as fast as we can in areas like cooperation with India in terms of operational issues, sharing critical technology and intellectual property related to defense equipment development.

We’re really trying to push the envelope in new and novel ways beyond what we’ve ever done for a country that’s not a treaty ally and, in fact, in some ways, particularly when we talk about sharing advanced security technology and actually helping India to become more self-reliant in some areas of weapons production and defense material production, we’re actually doing things that we haven’t even done for treaty allies.

So it’s a new kind of relationship trying to break new ground and in some ways, you know, moving a little bit faster even than we do with traditional allies.

Now, the question is what are we going to see out of the visit next week. Today already the United States has become India’s largest defense exercise partner. We’ve got a little over $20 billion in total U.S. defense sales to India. There’s a few platforms that are on the table that we hope to get some progress on. Whether they’ll announce it at the table is always a big question. India sometimes is reluctant to announce major defense deals during summits.

But there are a few new sales that U.S. companies are hoping for. But I think you’re also going to see next week really kind of a doubling down in looking at new ways to share the co-development of new defense technology including through the private sector where the Modi government in nine years in office has really deregulated a lot of defense production to India’s private sector.

So I think there’s a lot more partners for U.S. companies to choose from. But also trying to get startups in the defense space to work together more actively. So I suspect next week is going to be chock full of announcements big and small related to furthering U.S.-India security ties and a lot of that is going to be focused on not just operational issues but actually helping India through co-development of new defense and weapon systems.

The commercial relationship is a bit more of a mixed bag. There, you know, it seems that we’re doing a step forward and a step back when we talk about government-to-government dialogues. We don’t have, I think, kind of the blistering pace of antagonism on trade matters that we had at the end of the Obama administration and early into the Trump administration when both sides were taking considerable steps that eroded, at least from the policy front, U.S.-India trade ties. Most notably the United States revoked India’s trade preferences under the Generalized System of Preference program.

So you don’t see new steps being taken on a regular basis like you saw, certainly, during the Trump administration. But a lot of those old issues have not been resolved. So we’ve got a number of trade dialogues but progress has really been very slow and forthcoming in removing some of the impediments that we look at in the trade relationship.

But that being said, of course, not everything is defined by what the governments do together and if you look at the actual trade relationship, you look at trade numbers and foreign investment numbers, the story is actually a lot more positive.

U.S.-India trade has crossed $130 billion on goods trade, and that’s a sizable increase year on year. Foreign direct investment remains pretty steady, although it has declined a little bit. But foreign direct investment into India is hovering around $50 billion per year.

India investment into the United States is one of those stories that doesn’t get reported quite often enough. Cumulative – a new report by a Confederation of Indian Industry which surveyed Indian firms that have investments in United States point to as much as $40 billion cumulatively that Indian firms have invested in the United States and employing over 400,000 people.

So we still have some old tensions that are, I think, simmering underneath. There are some steps, especially as India heads towards an election in a year, where it could further maybe erode some of the business opportunities. We might see additional steps on protectionism, maybe some issues on limiting cross-border data flows, which would be very important because, of course, a lot of U.S. companies leverage India for their back office for IT services.

But, overall, you know, despite some headwinds by government-to-government policymaking you actually see companies doing more and more and there’s been relatively good growth.

Now, for the visit next week I don’t suspect you’re going to see a lot covering general commercial issues but those areas of commercial interest that have a strategic overlay like 5G, 6G, undersea cables, critical minerals, space cooperation – areas like that – there I think you’re going to see a number of attempts to craft announcements and new work plans or agreements during the visit next week. So general trade I don’t think will be covered too closely, but trade in areas that have strategic significance, I think, will be highlighted next week during the visit.

But to talk about what these kind of visits look like, I’d like to hand the floor over to my colleague and friend, Don Camp. Don and I first got to know each other in a very similar set of circumstances when he was running the White House ahead of President Clinton’s visit to India back in 2000, and I was with the U.S.-India Business Council, so it was in the same kind of crucible we first got to know each other.

Let me hand the floor over to you, Don.

Donald Camp:  Thanks, Rick – thanks for the introduction. As a retired Foreign Service officer who worked on India at the State Department and the National Security Council staff for the last 30-plus years, I thought my value today could be a little bit of historical perspective before I get into substance.

The White House has described the Modi visit as an official state visit. The protocol industry would call it an official visit since, in the technical sense, only heads of state, like monarchs and presidents, can pay a state visit. But it’s a distinction without too much of a difference, but it has caused a little confusion around this visit. I’ve heard it described as only the third state visit to the U.S. in Indian history. That is not true. There have been ten full-fledged, official visits by Indian prime ministers since Indian independence in 1948, and one, quote, unquote, “state visit” by an Indian president back in 1963. This is one in that tradition which has been marked mostly by one official visit by India during each administration. The exceptions, I think, were the Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Trump administrations.

There have been other prime ministerial visits, of course, often around the September meetings of the U.N. General Assembly when the ministers are in New York and can make a side trip to Washington for a much less elaborate working visit – without the dinner, without the stay at Blair House, et cetera.

During the Trump administration, Narendra Modi made several trips marked most prominently by huge rallies of Indian-American supporters – once in Madison Square Garden, and once in Houston, accompanied by President Trump. That was the so-called “Hello, Modi” rally. Modi has not, however, been a guest at the White House for a full-fledged official visit, so this is important for him and for the U.S.

There are a couple of ways that the U.S. can show even more respect and hospitality to a foreign visitor. One is the address to the two houses of Congress, and that, of course, is a legislative prerogative. Modi has been invited by Congress; that will happen on the 22nd. A Capitol Hill speech has been in increasingly common feature of prime ministerial visits, and not just official visits, as Indian-Americans have become increasingly more prominent in U.S. politics. Modi addressed Congress in 2016, as did his predecessors, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, in 2000 and 2005.

Another important but rather rare add-on is an out-of-town visit accompanied by the president. That gesture takes a lot of time and effort, and is rarely offered, but it is obviously much sought after. That would be like a trip to Camp David, or an excursion to Mount Vernon. Eisenhower – Dwight Eisenhower is still remembered by Indian historians for taking Nehru to his farm in Gettysburg, way back in 1956. There had been hopes, I think, from the Indian side, that Modi might be given a brief visit to Camp David, but that appears to be out, barring a last-minute surprise.

On to substance, the two bureaucratic machines in Washington and New Delhi will have been working in overdrive in recent weeks to prepare the policy substance for the visit. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is in Delhi today and tomorrow to put the final touches on what will be the highlights of the visit. And diplomats are working out right now what to include in the final joint statement to showcase the breadth of the bilateral relationship and all that has been accomplished by the two leaders. And both sides will be seeking to get into the statement what they hope to get out of the visit.

The U.S. will want to show a growing partnership in Asia, emphasizing the quad relationship between India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia that Rick just talked about, and the importance of democratic values in both countries, and importantly, whatever they can get the Indians to agree upon as far as confronting the political and military ambitions of China in the South China Sea and elsewhere in Asia. The U.S. will push the Indians to go farther than they have in criticizing the Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine. That will be a hard sell for Delhi.

The U.S. will also seek to move India away from its traditional reliance on Russia for arms supplies. The growing U.S.-India defense relationship has whetted India’s appetite for the advanced technology the U.S. can offer. This has been a feature of the relationship for decades. One of the big deliverables of this visit looks to me a U.S. decision to allow the tech transfer that will allow General Electric to produce in India advanced jet engines for India’s indigenous jet fighters.

Also, the new dialogue announced last year on critical and emerging technologies will showcase India’s own leadership in information technology. India is seeking sensitive technologies that the U.S. is often loath to share. So they will be talking about cooperation in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The U.S. is eager to – obviously, to diversify sources of high-tech computer chips, and thus a high-profile investment by a company like Micron, as has been talked about, serves both countries’ interests. The two sides will also want to show progress on the common priorities, but differing approaches, to climate change, as well as a common effort to prepare for future pandemics.

As far as India, they will be looking to demonstrate their growing influence in world affairs. Modi will arrive representing for the first time the most populous country in the world. India wants and expects a seat at the high table of global diplomacy. They will want the U.S. to reiterate its pledge to support India as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. President Obama made that commitment on his trip to India in 2010, and Trump later reiterated it. No one really expects this to happen in the near future, but the U.S. has spent the last year earnestly taking soundings around the world about what a reformed and expanded Security Council would look like.

Modi will push the president for action, not words. But if Biden is speaking frankly, he will remind them that they will have to round up the support of Russia and China as well before there is concrete action, given those two countries’ veto powers. I’ll be glad to talk more about this if you’re interested in where this might go, and field any other questions you might have. Thank you. I will now turn the podium over to my colleague Neelima Jain from CSIS.

Neelima Jain:  Thank you, Don. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for your interest and time. I’ll speak briefly about the role climate and energy could play during the state visit.

First, to put it in context, the U.S. and India have a long and rich history of bilateral cooperation on climate and energy that started in 2005 with a dialogue on energy security and has expanded into a multi- and strong disciplinary collaboration. Under the Biden administration, the cooperation is progressing through two main tracks: first, SCEP, which is the – sorry – which is the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership; and, second, Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue.

Now, through those partnerships, U.S. and India are committed to working together in achieving their ambitious climate and clean-energy targets. The two countries have also launched the India-U.S. Hydrogen Task Force to look at issues such as sustainable production of hydrogen and its safe deployment, and have launched a new energy task force to support the large-scale integration of renewable energy.

Now, in an inflationary and energy crisis environment, both the U.S. and India face a range of challenges that have restricted the full ambitions of U.S.-India climate partnership. Both countries have witnessed extreme weather conditions. Especially for India, with a coal-dependent energy system, balancing climate action, energy access, and economic development will continue to bear unique social, economic, and political challenges.

The U.S. recognizes India’s regional context. For example, a study run by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the State Department demonstrates that the Indian grid will require additional promised capacity through 2030 to meet the grid’s flexibility requirements.

While a number of accomplishments have been demonstrated under the first track, the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership, limited progress has been made under the second track, which is the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue. So in this context, perhaps the upcoming visit may entail an announcement on a financing vehicle in order to mobilize institutional capital to support India’s clean-energy transition.

The second area to look out for is bilateral cooperation in critical minerals and clean tech. India is keen to strengthen its supply chains and it appears that the Biden administration is open to it.

I’ll conclude here, and happy to take it any direction you like later on. I’ll turn it over to Alex.

Mr. Kisling: Great. Thank you so much, Neelima, and thank you to all of our speakers.

I will now turn it over to our operator, Karen to run down the instructions for Q&A, and hope we can have a great discussion here.

Operator:  Thank you, Mr. Kisling.

(Gives queuing instructions.)

We will go to the line of Shaun Tandon, AFP. Please go ahead.

Q: Hey there. Thanks for doing this call.

Could I follow up on the Russia angle? I wanted to see how much of an impediment you’ve found it to be in relations and whether there could be any meeting of the minds. I know that publicly officials in Washington just say, look, you know, we understand that Russia – that India has a historic relationship with Russia, but how much pressure do you think that puts on the relationship? Are there some perceptions that maybe India may not be the partner that the United States wants due to its stance on Ukraine? Thanks.

Mr. Camp:  Can I tackle that one? This is Don.

I would simply say that, you know, India will pursue its own national interest very firmly. That’s always been their policy. And, obviously, the U.S. will push them to cut oil sales, try to cut arms sales, and so forth. I suspect that India has gone about as far as it’s willing to go, and it certainly has criticized the invasion. I don’t – there may be some further action that the U.S. will push them to, but it has not seemed to be a huge impediment in the development of the relationship over the last year or so.

Mr. Kisling:  All right. Thanks, Don.

I think we can go to the next question, Karen.

Operator: Thank you.

Next we’ll go to the line of Dave Lawler, Axios. Please go ahead.

Q: Hi there.

I’d actually like to build off of Shaun’s question on the relationship with Russia. I guess I wonder, you know, given the lack of sort of leverage, I guess, to push India to a different position on Russia, I wonder, you know, how that might impact the outlook for, you know, confrontation with China either economically or, you know, if it did enter the military dimension. You know, I know they have some converging interests on China at the moment. But I guess I wonder whether U.S. policymakers should expect India to follow its, you know, somewhat more narrow self-interest on the China issue as well and maybe tailor their expectations accordingly. Thanks.

Mr. Camp: Rich, shall I try –

Mr. Rossow: I can – I can – yeah.

You know, I would just say that I think that when you – when you compare the relative gravity of the two – you know, these two rivals that we’re talking about, Russia and China, you know, this understanding that, you know, relatively limited support to Ukraine has been able to head off what we thought would be a relatively easy Russian victory. You know, when we think about the threat horizon 10 years out, 20 years out, one will grow – that’s China – and one will diminish or stay the same – that’s Russia – especially as countries across Europe and others begin, you know, initiating embargoes against sharing the kind of root technology that Russia needs to further develop and expand its own military equipment.

And so I think, you know, it is – maybe we’d call it kind of narrow. You know, there’s really sort of one country where we have a tremendous level of overlap with India in our threat perception. But that is the main threat that we’re going to be confronting, you know, over the next decades and on into the future.

So I suspect, you know, right now, as you get, as I have described it, closer to the president here in the United States, there’s more understanding that we really need to keep our powder dry. We don’t want to risk severing the relationship with India. Find small and modest ways to nudge, but don’t make that a deciding factor. Because the upside and the overlap, you know, it is the threat that we’re going to – the overriding threat that we’re going to face in coming decades, and India has shown a really deep willingness to partner with the United States across multiple domains.

So I suspect in this – in this – the visit and on into the future the good that we look at in this certainly outweighs what we consider, you know, the areas where we have divergence. There’s lots of others, too, that we could point to where you’re going to have small and medium headaches, you know, for instance like elections in Bangladesh when the United States announces a sanctions program and India’s got more comfort. So there’s going to be a lot of – a lot of, I think, areas that pop up where you’re going to have divergence, but the convergence is big enough where I think it’ll outweigh everything else barring, you know, some major conflagration.

Mr. Kisling:  Thanks, Rick.

Karen, let’s go to the next question.

Operator: Next we’ll go to the line of George Condon, National Journal. Please go ahead.

Q: Thanks much. I wanted to follow on those first two answers and then ask one other question.

Given how high on the president’s priority list Ukraine is, what can he realistically expect to get out of the prime minister that he would consider a success?

And secondly, on the personal relationship, you mentioned the Howdy Modi event. President Trump was always bragging of a great personal relationship with the prime minister. How would you describe, compared to that, President Biden’s personal relationship with the – with the prime minister?

Mr. Rossow:  Don, you want to – you want to tee up first this time?

Mr. Camp:  Sure.

Just on the – on the personal relationship, I think that by all accounts Biden has developed a pretty good relationship through virtual meetings and the like with Modi over the last couple years. He’s, obviously, got a very different style from President Trump, but I think – I think it’s very clear that Biden has pushed the relationship farther. Under Trump, you had a lot of thunder but not quite as much action, and I think the Biden administration has probably pushed the relationship farther ahead. And I’m sure the Indians are appreciative of that.

As far as what the U.S. can get out of India on Russia, I can only repeat what I – (laughs) – what I sort of said. And that is that, you know, the Indians have their own constraints. They are – they could potentially transfer their oil purchases more toward the Gulf and away from Russia, but that would be very expensive for them. We have already had – I’m sure we would expect a reiteration of Modi’s opposition to the Russian invasion. But as far as practical action, I don’t see a lot of movement on the Indian side.

Ms. Rossow:  And, Don, I might say, too, it’s a little bit indirect, but I think meaningful; when we talk about helping India become more self-reliant in defense production – and that includes U.S. companies co-producing in India – but, you know, I’m sure in the back of people’s minds as well is it’s another step to reduce reliance on Russia as a major military supplier. So if India’s not going to buy everything they need from the United States, we certainly would like to see them buy it from partners and allies of the United States or become more self-reliant.

And I think that’s one way that we’re in some ways in a helpful way feeding the beast. India, because of its trade deficits and interest in job creation and things like that, they’re really focused on domestic production in any kind of manufacturing, but defense has particular significance. So some of the announcements that we look at on the visit where we are talking about helping India stand up its own defense industry, a lot of times in partnership with American firms, you know, indirectly, but I think that’s also an interesting way to try to unseat Russia’s primacy as a major defense supplier.

So we’re planting deeper seeds, maybe, than, you know, simply announcing a major recast of everything India’s got out in the field in one fell swoop, but of course nobody’s got the budget to do that in one fell swoop. So I think we’re laying seeds, too, with some of the – some of the cooperation on things you’re going to see next week.

We’ll go to the line of Margaret Spiegelman, Inside U.S. Trade. Please go ahead.

Q: Hi. Thank you so much.

So I have a trade question. My understanding is the U.S. and India have been working to resolve several pending WTO disputes. I’m wondering, you know, what your expectation is for any announcement about those disputes and if we see any kind of announcement on the case involving the 232 tariffs and, in particular, you know, what that might look like. Thank you so much.

Mr. Rossow:  Yeah, I’ll jump in for this one. I do know that there’s supposed to be kind of a last-minute call between the commerce ministers, the trade ministers, later this week and try to see if they can expand the aperture a bit in terms of what some commercial announcements might look like.

The biggest package, as you know, that’s been kind of pending for multiple years now is resolving a number of challenges that U.S. companies face in India on medical device price controls and some agriculture market access and things like that, which would be offset by restoration of India’s GSP benefits.

But, of course, the program has expired globally. So USTR, the main – the main bullet they had to show up for this discussions for cannot be – cannot be brought to the table currently. So it’s been – it’s been pretty tricky.

The WTO-related issues, you know, I think it’s a – it’s a good action-forcing event having leaders, although, you know, it tends to be a little bit tricky if something is brought up to the WTO in a bilateral meeting to kind of announce some sort of resolution. Either it looks like the WTO forced the leaders’ hands and they were kind of, you know, come to the table at a summit like this. So I suspect it may be an opportunity to, I think, further discussions behind the scenes. But to see WTO-related issues kind of get announced and resolved at the leaders’ summit, that seems a little bit – a little bit difficult, I think, for either side to try to – to try to put on the table.

So, hopefully, this will help nudge it but probably not, you know, cause finalization, I wouldn’t think. 232 I haven’t heard it brought up, I think, as actively as I might have kind of expected. It continues to burn a bit. So I think that’s a little bit more viable as an option to bring up on the table next week. So I’m glad you raised it.

Operator:  Thank you.

Next we’ll go to the line of Khushboo Razdan, South China Morning Post. Please go ahead.

My question is about, you know, President Biden has articulated, you know, the competition with China as something between autocracies and democracies and we have been witnessing a kind of, you know, erosion of democracy in India under the Modi government.

There has been suppression of his political opposition. There has been, you know, suppression of independent media as well and persecution of Muslim minorities under his rule, and the Biden administration has not been very public and vocal about, you know, the human rights violations under the Modi government like it has been in case of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. Do you think President Biden is going to take this issue up with Prime Minister Modi during this visit?

Mr. Camp:  Can I speak to that briefly? This is Don.

You know, by definition a big – a large-scale official visit like this is going to be a success. It has to be a success for both sides, and that means that there is a real reluctance to introduce difficult topics in this context. You want – you want bonhomie. You want a grand success to come out of this because the two heads of government are depending on that.

So my guess is that human rights will not be much of a focus of the conversation. It will be left to other visits, the many dialogues that we have on every issue under the sun, where those issues – our concerns will be raised, and there are real concerns and the White House is taking some heat from human rights organizations in the U.S. on what is happening in India under the Modi government.

But it will – I’m sure it will not be a focus of this official visit.

Q:  Thank you.

Next, we’ll go to the line of Laura Winter, Defense & Aerospace Report. Please go ahead.

Q:  Hello, gentlemen and lady. Thank you for the event and for taking my question.

I’d like to know what would be the possible space-related deliverables. It’s both a commercial question and a defense question. Will there be increased tech or data sharing, commercial cooperation? And, well, what about the Artemis Accords, especially in light of the State Department’s new strategy to further the accords, and while India is a major spacefaring nation and space has been in the Quad discussions and deliverables before? That is my question. Thank you.

Mr. Rossow:  Yeah, I can pop in and give this one an initial. You know, it feels like the real thrust right now is trying to get our private sectors to work together a lot more closely. There’s been times past where they’ve talked about a commercial space launch agreement and some other government-to-government stuff. I don’t hear about that as much right now. And as we saw with the launch in January with the workstreams under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, India actually brought a relatively sizable private sector delegation, along with the national security advisor. And a lot of the firms that joined that were from the space and related industries.

So there’s already good things happening between our relative government space agencies. India is launching U.S. equipment. So there’s lots of good things that are happening from the government-to-government side. But it feels like the real thrust is going to be trying to get private sector firms to work together a lot more closely. And that includes, again, smaller firms, start-up firms, small and medium firms, where sometimes, you know, doing the real hard stuff, on sharing intellectual property, is sometimes a bit easier at the research and development phase than it is with something that’s a little bit more full-fledged.

So you may not even see a lot of the big U.S. majors on defense companies necessarily as intertwined, but instead a lot more on the start-up ecosystem, the small business ecosystem, and how do you initiate collaborations there. It could be even things like university research partnerships as well, kind of going all the way back to the beginning there. So I think the government-to-government stuff is moving along at a fairly good pace, but the real energy is trying to get the private sectors to do more together. So I suspect that’ll be the real thrust next week.

Next we’ll go to the line of Ethan Plotkin, Intrigue Media. Please go ahead.

Q:  Hey. Thanks for this.

On the topic of private-sector cooperation, we’ve heard a lot about Apple moving into India, and using it as its new industrial hub. Are other American companies aiming to follow Apple’s lead here?

Mr. Rossow:  Yeah, I can – I can take this one. You know, I think that when you look at the announcement of some of the suppliers, and the fact that suppliers have acknowledged that they’ve circled India, that India’s cellphone production and exports are starting to grow even before a lot of these suppliers have moved in, so a lot of lower-end phones and stuff that India’s already producing. It’s actually had some notable success. There are a few manufacturing areas. You know, I think cellphones is in that list now, but generic pharmaceuticals, autos, and auto components where India has globally competitive manufacturing industries.

But those are still relatively rare. And I do see Indian government officials, you know, talking about this may be the moment when China Plus One strategy, things like that, are really kind of starting to take root. I would say, you know, as much as the Indian government releases data on foreign direct investment, it’s not really showing a dramatic tale that you have this huge uptick in foreign investment of whatever type. Foreign director investment into India actually has declined a bit, a few percentage points year on year, as of – as of March of this year. So you’re not seeing this major groundswell when you look at the numbers.

But there are a few narratives and stories, the Apple suppliers I think are the most notable, which kind of show that maybe companies are taking a second look. So not a lot of tangible evidence that, outside of telecoms, that there’s been this big uptick. But it does feel like, you know, companies that maybe first were looking at Vietnam, and Malaysia, and Mexico are giving India a bit of a second look. And I suspect that we’ll – you know, we’ll see a bit of an increase. But the numbers so far don’t really show that it’s happening in any dramatic way yet.

Next we’ll go to the line of Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post. Please go ahead.

Q: Thank you.

You’ve no doubt seen Ashley Tellis’ piece in Foreign Affairs that talks about how the United States should not – I mean, it was actually titled “The Bad Bet on India.” But that might be a little bit of hyperbole. In any case, his point was the U.S. should not – the U.S. should not make the mistake of thinking that its growing partnership with India will mean that India will be all-in as a defense and security ally, and it will be in collective security in the region, in particular in the event of a conflict with China over Taiwan. And I know you know that India is avowedly nonaligned and wants to be a great power in its own right.

So what do you think the United States and the Biden administration – what is the best they can expect out of India? You know, this deepening partnership is not, you know, a full-fledged treaty alliance and a commitment to throw in militarily in the event of a conflict with China in the Pacific. What is the best that this administration can hope for?

Mr. Camp:  Let me start on that, and then maybe Rick has some ideas as well. I mean, you’re quite right. And India has never let us think that there would be any kind of alliance. Anyone who thinks that India will become a treaty ally is simply wrong, as you know well.

What we have now I think both sides have called a strategic partnership. India is very proud of its – what they now tend to call strategic autonomy. And they, as I said before, have their own national interests. They tell us often that don’t forget that we deal with China as a neighbor. They have a very complicated relationship with China. They have border conflicts. At the same time, they cooperate in – they’re a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, they’re a founding member of BRICS, the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa consortium.

So there’s a lot of cooperation there. They cannot – I would say, cannot afford to have China as a committed enemy. And that will always be high on their list of strategic priorities. And that will always limit what they can do vis-à-vis China. Does that make sense? Rick, over to you. (Laughs.)

Mr. Rossow: Yeah, I mean, to Don’s – one of his first lines he had there too, which I always like to unpack a little more – India is the only country in decades that’s actually went to combat against China. Now, luckily, no shots were fired. It was hand-to-hand combat. But dozens of soldiers on both sides, you know, died. And every couple of months you have another potential there. You see these massive breakouts of fisticuffs, and clubs, and rocks, and things like that. You know, it’s not hard to imagine at some point that somebody picks up a rifle and shoots or something, when you’ve got these kind of confrontations happening all the time.

So, you know, the fact that you have this confrontation happening, which China is certainly provoking. China has expanded its military capabilities along the border, which does draw them away from the theaters we consider more important. And that’s where, I think, the distinction has to be made as well. You know, a lot of American security analysts, when we talk about the role and utility India’s going to play, we think about it in the areas that we consider the most grave and severe. You know, probably ranking those you’d say Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, East China Sea, Pacific Islands.

India’s view, you know, and its own geography, as Don pointed out, is its border and the maritime domain. And they would actually kind of counter to the United States, saying: All right, what are you doing around us? You’re asking us, like, what role we’re playing in the Pacific, but you’re calling it the Indo-Pacific now. And you don’t really have an Indian Ocean security strategy that kind of matches, you know, the other threats. And China is dramatically expanding its military operations in India’s neighborhood. And India feels a little bit lonely right now, as the only one who’s trying to uphold security and law and order in the region.

So that’s a challenge that I think you’ll face, once again, next week in the summit. We want to see India have more of a forward-leaning presence on some of the security threats in the Pacific theater. They want us to play a more active role in the Indian Ocean. And that includes not just military, but heading off China attempts to develop strategic infrastructure in the region, which could potentially be leveraged and used for military purposes later on.

And so I think, you know, the theater where we’re operating and trying to find ways where, you know, we can work in the theater each other cares about a lot more, you know, that’s going to be part of the delicate dance that the two leaders are going to be playing, you know, for the summit next week and on into the future. Both threats are very severe. One of them is on the frontpage news every single day to the American audience. But the other, on the South Asia and Indian Ocean, you know, gets a lot less attention.

But the one country that’s at risk every single day of losing territory, more than any country in the South China Sea, and that’s getting engulfed faster than Taiwan, is little Bhutan. And, you know, who talks about the fact that Bhutan’s independence is getting eroded by the slow Chinese incursion? So India, you know, they feel that their primary area to engage is in their own neighborhood. And, you know, unfortunately, it doesn’t always rank quite so high to the foreign audiences. But for India it’s a day-to-day experience, for sure.

Mr. Kisling: All right. Rick. Thank you.

It looks like we have no more questions in the queue right now, so we’ll just go ahead and wrap it here. But thank you all for joining today. We really appreciate it. And thank you to my colleagues for their time and expertise.

Just as a reminder, we’re going to have a transcript of this call which we’ll send around to everybody who RSVPed, and then we’ll post it to CSIS.org later today. So, again, thank you, everybody. Really appreciate it. And have a great day.

Mr. Rossow: Thanks, all.

Mr. Camp: Thank you.

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President Droupadi Murmu to visit Ram Mandir in Ayodhya tomorrow

This will be president droupadi murmu's first visit to the newly built ram mandir in ayodhya, the consecration ceremony for which was held on january 22..

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• President Droupadi Mumru to visit Ayodhya tomorrow
• First visit to the newly-constructed Ram Mandir
• Will perform 'darshan' and 'aarti' at multiple temples

President Droupadi Mumru will visit Ayodhya on Wednesday to pay obeisance at the Ram temple, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has said.

It will be her first visit to the newly built temple, the consecration ceremony for which was held on January 22.

The president will visit Ayodhya on May 1, the statement said on Tuesday.

"During her stay in Ayodhya, the president will make 'darshan' and 'aarti' at the Shri Hanuman Garhi Temple, Prabhu Shri Ram Temple and Kuber Teela," the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

She will also perform Saryu puja and 'aarti', it added. Published By: Sahil Sinha Published On: Apr 30, 2024 ALSO READ | Congress to impose 55% inheritance tax if voted to power: PM's big charge

Iran president to visit Pakistan from Monday to Wednesday, Pakistan says

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Convicted leader of Greek far-right Golden Dawn party released on parole

The convicted leader and founder of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party, Nikos Mihaloliakos, has been released from prison on parole, a Greek police source and state television ERT said on Thursday.

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Former President Trump focuses on economy, immigration at Waukesha, Wisconsin rally

Trump campaigns on Wednesdays, when his hush money trial in New York is not in session

WAUKESHA, Wis. (WLS) -- Former President Donald Trump hit the campaign trail Wednesday, with a pair of visits to Midwest swing states.

His first stop was in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Wisconsin is among several swing states that could be key to the November election. Trump won Wisconsin by less than a percentage point in 2016, and lost by less than a percentage point to President Joe Biden in 2020.

On Wednesday, the former president was in full campaign mode, making the case for another four years.

Trump received a hero's welcome in Wisconsin, where 1,200 of his faithful supporters packed the Waukesha County Expo Center for a rally.

The presumptive Republican nominee focused a lot of his attention on the economy, promising to make things better.

"The choice for Wisconsin is simple: If you want lower prices, then you have no choice than to vote for one person, Donald J. Trump," Trump said. "When I'm in the White House, the Biden economic bust will be replaced by the Trump economic boom."

With immigration a major issue for Republicans, Trump promised to seal off the border, if elected.

SEE ALSO: Judge to consider holding Trump in criminal contempt for 4 additional gag order violations Thursday

And he decried the current wave of college campus takeovers.

"I say, remove the encampments immediately. Vanquish the radicals, and take back our campuses," Trump said. "Radical extremists and agitators, they're terrorizing college campuses, as you possibly noticed, and Biden's nowhere to be found."

Not all those who stood in long lines outside made it in. A woman from Chicago's West Side was among those who did.

"I'm here to support the greatest president in my lifetime. We can see, as citizens of Chicago, the policies of the Biden administration are bankrupting our city," P. Rae Easley said.

Trump even touched on the impact of crime in Chicago on retailers.

"So now, they put bars up, and they put glass up. And somebody wants to buy toothpaste, it takes half a hour for the guy to come," Trump said.

Trump also received a rousing applause when he talked about needing more election security.

"I will secure our elections: one-day voting, with paper ballots and proof of citizenship and voter ID," Trump said.

But many who did not get in Wednesday left disappointed.

"They should have had it at like State Fair Park, or someplace that's a bigger venue. There are thousands of people here," Mequon, Wisconsin resident Janet Peterson said.

Trump, who campaigns on Wednesdays, when his hush money trial in New York is not in session, brushed off the impact his current and future trials could have on the election.

"They're trying this weaponization of the Justice Department. That hasn't worked that well, highest poll number ever," Trump said.

His supporters agree.

"Some of that stuff is just so ridiculous. Those trials are just a joke," Lisle resident Paul Hujer said.

The former president actually started his remarks about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled, and spoke for nearly an hour and half.

He said this campaign is not a revenge tour.

"We're going to make this country so successful again; it's going to be so successful. That will be our revenge," Trump said.

From Waukesha, he was heading to Michigan for another rally in a battleground state.

Trump said he was looking forward to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July.

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India 'Shocked' as Musk's Surprise China Visit Leaves Them Spurned

India 'Shocked' as Musk's Surprise China Visit Leaves Them Spurned

FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk attends the Breakthrough Prize awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 13, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

By Aditya Kalra

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Elon Musk's surprise visit to China this week won concessions for Tesla but left India feeling spurned after he cancelled a scheduled trip there for earlier this month, with Indian commentators calling the move a snub.

India's pained reaction highlights the increasing rivalry between India and China, Asia two largest countries by population and among the region's most dynamic economies. Business and diplomatic relations between them have been strained since a 2020 border clash left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.

Musk was due to meet Modi last week and announce an investment of up to $3 billion in a car plant, but cancelled saying there were "very heavy Tesla obligations". By then, the Indian government had sent out invites for a startup event Musk was to attend.

On Sunday, Musk turned up in China, meeting with Premier Li Qiang and making progress towards rolling out its advanced driver assistance package in the world's biggest auto market.

Indian news channels that often take a hard line position against China blasted Musk's trip.

The Mirror Now news channel ran a prime time news segment with a tagline "Shoddy ethics or simply business?", with the anchor saying "here in India everybody was shocked."

Digital news service News9 ran a segment late on Monday on Musk, saying "Hello China, Goodbye India?". It then flashed on the screen, "VERY HEAVY TESLA OBLIGATIONS? China visit a week after cancelling India".

Neither Tesla or Modi's office responded to requests for comment. Musk said on April 20 he looks forward to visiting India later this year, but the Indian government has not commented on his trip cancellation or China visit.

Musk's India trip could have boosted Modi's re-election campaign, with a Tesla investment announcement during poll campaigning providing an endorsement of Modi's business friendly image as he seeks a rare third term.

Modi's government has been trying to court foreign companies to India as they diversify their supply chains beyond China because of geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Modi's opponents seized on Musk's China visit to criticise the prime minister.

"Such is the lack of faith in the Modi govt's regulatory policies, that big businesses are turning to China over India repeatedly," Shama Mohamed, the national spokesperson of main opposition Congress party wrote on social media website X.

Political satirist Akash Banerjee, who runs a YouTube channel "The Patriot", questioned how Musk had no time to meet Modi, but still went to China.

"Do you think Modi will forgive Musk from his heart?" Banerjee said in a video that has clocked 268,000 views in 19 hours.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Additional reporting by Shivangi Acharya; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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India first phase election updates: Modi seeks third term in mammoth vote

Vote pits ruling coalition led by PM Narendra Modi’s BJP against Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, led by the Congress party.

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of India’s election here .

• Ballots have closed in the first of the seven phases of India’s weeks-long general election.
• The first phase included 166 million eligible voters in 102 constituencies across 21 states and union territories.
• The polls are primarily pitting the National Democratic Alliance led by two-time Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, spearheaded by the main opposition party, Indian National Congress.
• Voters will be electing representatives for the 543 seats of the Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament. The party or coalition that secures a majority will form the next government.
• Some 969 million registered voters are eligible to participate in the world’s largest democratic exercise over seven weeks. The results will be announced on June 4.

That’s a wrap from us

This live page is now closed. Thank you for joining us.

To read more about India’s mammoth national election, you can access our explainer here . You can also read our report on Modi and his BJP’s chances of winning in a key southern Indian state here .

Please check our  home page  for all the latest news.

Strife-torn Manipur votes in big numbers despite fears of violence

Voters in the violence-hit northeastern state of Manipur turned out in large numbers to vote in the shadow of ethnic clashes that killed at least 220 people within a year.

The state has been roiled by fighting between the majority Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities since May. There were scattered incidents of violence on Friday despite heavy security.

Although election campaign meetings were held behind closed doors because of fears of violence in the state of 3.6 million people, there was 68 percent voter turnout by 5pm (11:30 GMT), when polling stations closed.

“We expect the turnout to go up a little. Overall, people turned up and came out to vote,” Pradeep Jha, Manipur’s chief election officer, said earlier in the day.

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of today’s events:

• Voting in the first phase of India’s general election took place in 102 constituencies across 21 states as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third term.
• The seven-phase election involves nearly a billion eligible voters in the largest democratic exercise in the world. Votes will be counted on June 4.
• India’s Election Commission said there was nearly a 60 percent turnout in the first phase of the election as of 5pm (11:30 GMT).
• Voting in some areas of the northeastern state of Manipur, which has been hit by ethnic riots, was disrupted after allegations of irregularities, Indian media reported.
• A paramilitary security officer in Bijapur district of the central state of Chhattisgarh was injured in an “accidental” explosion, reports quoting the police said.
• The next phase of the vote will be held on April 26 with 89 parliamentary seats up for grabs across 13 states.

Why Modi is eyeing a third term

If Modi wins, he will be only the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.

The BJP controls much of Hindi-speaking northern and central India but is now trying to gain a foothold in the east and south. Its toughest challenge is in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where voting was held for its 39 seats on Friday.

Modi’s two terms have seen civil liberties in India come under attack as he implements what critics say are discriminatory policies. Peaceful protests have been crushed with force. A once free and diverse media are threatened, violence is on the rise against the Muslim minority and government agencies have arrested opposition politicians in alleged corruption cases.

“Any party that comes back for a third term and with a brute majority is a scary prospect for democracy,” said Arati Jerath, a political commentator.

Modi government ‘controlled Muslims’ in district hit by 2013 riots

Muzaffarnagar district in northern Uttar Pradesh state saw deadly riots a decade ago, but religious divisions still influenced voters in an election in which Hindu nationalism is a key theme.

Clashes broke out here in 2013 after two Hindus stabbed a Muslim youth to death, accusing him of sexually harassing their sister. They were later beaten to death by a Muslim mob, which caused riots that killed about 65 people, mostly Muslims, and displaced thousands.

Violence has not returned to the sugarcane belt, but political divisions remain.

Modi’s government has “controlled Muslims”, said Ramesh Chand, a Hindu biscuit baker in Kairana city near Muzaffarnagar.

In Jaula village, sugarcane farmer Mohammed Irfan, 50, said Modi’s “high-handedness against Muslims” as well as unemployment and inflation were major reasons for him voting for the opposition Samajwadi Party.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections concludes in Muzaffarnagar. pic.twitter.com/T7zxd7pOU0 — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2024

Poll panel says 60 percent voter turnout till 5pm

India’s election commission says there was nearly 60 percent turnout in the parliamentary election as of 5pm (11:30 GMT), the Press Trust of India news agency reports.

Ballots are about to close in the first of the seven phases of the weeks-long general election.

In the multiphase 2019 polls, the national voting average was 67 percent.

West Bengal records 77.57% voter turnout till 5pm, the highest amongst the State/UTs voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls today. pic.twitter.com/uOFl9vuUJ0 — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2024

How is the government formed?

Photos: Voters head to polls in West Bengal

Gap between BJP, opposition not ‘necessarily unsurmountable’

Surveys show a big gap between Modi’s BJP and the opposition in this election, but it was not “necessarily unsurmountable”, says political analyst Sandeep Shastri of research firm Lokniti Network.

“Many voters say that we take our decision on who to vote for during campaigning and many say we do it closer to the day of voting,” he said.

“So there is also scope for campaigning to impact the nature of the verdict.”

But some BJP insiders and analysts say the party is worried about complacency or overconfidence among voters and party members, and needs to draw more people to vote.

BJP politician to Al Jazeera: ‘Opposition in disarray’

BJP spokesman Mohan Krishna says his party will sweep the election, winning 400 of 543 seats.

“The opposition is in disarray,” he told Al Jazeera. “The welfare schemes … a corruptionless government,” led by Modi has given “immense satisfaction as well as confidence to the people”.

Krishna said allegations of backsliding of democracy under Modi were “absolutely rubbish”.

“Democracy and the constitution are held high by the BJP and we have proved that … in the last 10 years,” he said.

Voters boycott election in Bihar village: Report

Residents in the village of Nehuta in Bihar state’s Aurangabad district are boycotting the vote over development issues, the Press Trust of India news agency reports.

Bihar, located in the east, is one of the poorest and least developed states in the country. But with 40 parliamentary seats, it’s also a politically crucial state, currently governed by a BJP-led coalition.

VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Residents of Nehuta village in Aurangabad, Bihar, boycott polling over development issues. #LSPolls2024WithPTI #LokSabhaElections2024 (Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz ) pic.twitter.com/jfjGzq69H4 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 19, 2024

Who rules the states that vote in the first phase?

• Tamil Nadu is governed by an alliance led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, one of the main opposition parties
• Modi’s BJP rules in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh
• The BJP is also in power through alliances in Maharashtra, Bihar, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Puducherry
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are federally governed with no democratically elected government
• Indian-administered Kashmir is also ruled from New Delhi, with no state elections since the Modi government scrapped its special status in 2019
• West Bengal is governed by the All India Trinamool Congress Party, a part of the opposition’s INDIA alliance
• A coalition of six regional parties, the Zoram People’s Movement, governs Mizoram

Key constituencies voting in the first phase

Here’s a brief list of some of the most important among 102 constituencies voting on Friday:

Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh: The epicentre of anti-Muslim riots in 2013 that some observers believe helped the BJP win big in India’s most populous state in 2014 (72 out of 80 seats). The constituency, and its neighbouring seats, have a significant Muslim population, but the BJP’s ability to consolidate Hindu votes helped it win in 2014 and 2019.

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu:  Prime Minister Modi’s BJP has traditionally struggled to break through the  southern state of Tamil Nadu , where it won zero out of the 39 seats in 2019. This time, the party is betting on a rising star, the party’s state leader K Annamalai, to deliver an unlikely win from Coimbatore.

Nagpur, Maharashtra: Federal transport minister Nitin Gadkari – a senior BJP leader who some political analysts view as a potential challenger to Modi – is contesting from Nagpur, a city famous for its oranges. Nagpur is also the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu majoritarian umbrella group that is the ideological mentor of the BJP.

Manipur: Both of the northeastern state’s two seats are voting in the first phase on April 19, and in part in the second phase on April 26. The elections are being held in the backdrop of ethnic strife that has effectively fractured Manipur between its plains – where the majority Meitei community predominantly lives – and the hills – where the Kuki community lives. More than 200 people have been killed in clashes since last May between the two communities, with many blaming the state’s BJP government for a biased role and for its failure to stop the violence. Will it pay a political price?

Voting in Chhattisgarh state ‘always a challenge’

Holding elections in Chhattisgarh state’s Bastar is an immense logistical and security challenge, with dense forests providing ample cover for Maoist rebels, say officials.

“Setting up polling stations and conducting voting in a peaceful manner has always been a challenge because of left-wing extremism,” the state’s chief electoral officer Reena Kangale told AFP news agency.

“Much of the area is also mined, so access is a problem without loss of life and limb.”

In recent days, hundreds of security personnel have been searching for improvised explosives on new roads deep inside dense forests to protect polling officials.

Ajay Dikshit, 57, a government school principal seconded to election duty, said his family had pressed him to turn down the assignment.

“I am government employee and I can’t refuse an order,” he said before voting day, while awaiting a helicopter ride to his post. “I just hope that everything works out well.”

The Indian village where all polling officers are women

The officers at a polling station in Chedema village in the tiny mountain state of Nagaland are all women.

The Northern Angami constituency is Nagaland’s first to be solely managed by women polling officers. It was the idea of Kumar Ramnikant, the administrative head of Kohima district, in hopes of breaking job stereotypes.

“If our country needs proper develop then there should be equal contribution from both halves,” Ramnikant said. “Empowerment should not only be at the top level, it should be at the bottom level also. It should be at all layers for real empowerment.”

“Women are more systematic. They take every sentence seriously whereas men have an easy attitude,” said Zhoto Khamo, an officer who has supervised many elections.

Manipur’s BJP CM inflamed conflict: Assam Rifles report on ethnic violence

Reporting from Kangpokpi/Imphal

For nearly a year now, the majority Meitei and the mainly Christian Kuki-Zo communities in India’s northeastern state of Manipur have been locked in what is arguably the country’s longest running ethnic conflict in the 21st century.

The conflict has killed at least 219 people, injured 1,100 others and displaced 60,000. It has also revived an array of armed groups, sweeping up men and boys as recruits from both communities.

An assessment of the violence by Assam Rifles – the federal government’s paramilitary force – puts part of the blame on the state government, headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, a member of Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP and his “political authoritarianism and ambition”.

The report is significant because Modi in his election campaign speeches asserted that the federal government’s timely intervention had led to a “marked improvement in the situation” in Manipur.

Read more here .

Polling stopped in some Manipur seats after ‘ruckus’: Report

Voting in some areas of Manipur’s capital Imphal has been halted, Indian news agency ANI reports.

“Polling stopped at 5 Thongju, 31 Khongman Zone in Imphal after some women alleged irregularities and created a ruckus,” ANI said in a post on X.

For nearly a year, the northeastern state bordering Myanmar has been gripped in what is arguably the country’s longest-running ethnic conflict between the majority Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities.

The conflict has killed more than 200 people and displaced tens of thousands as Modi’s government faced criticism for failing to control the violence in the state governed by his BJP party.

#WATCH | Manipur: Polling stopped at 5 Thongju, 31 Khongman Zone in Imphal after some women alleged irregularities and created a ruckus. The polling officer closed the polling booth: Imphal East DC #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/OvkLOp7wBp — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2024

When will the results be announced?

Publication of exit-poll data while an election is in progress is illegal under Indian law, so any indication of which way the vote is trending will only come after the last phase of voting concludes on June 1.

Formal ballot counting begins three days later on June 4, though the use of electronic voting machines means tallying will be quick. Results should be announced on the same day.

The party with a simple majority of 273 or more seats in the lower house is invited to form a government with its choice of prime minister. If no single party reaches that mark, India’s president will ask the leading party to try to put together a coalition.

Previously, that has led to days – and sometimes weeks – of intense horse-trading and negotiations between parties to cobble together a working majority.

Four Indian states also holding assembly elections

While Indians are voting in a crucial parliamentary election, voters in four states are also participating in legislative polls over the next few weeks.

Andhra Pradesh in the south, neighbouring Odisha, and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast will pick new state assemblies alongside the Lok Sabha election.

Of these, all the 60 assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh and 32 in Sikkim are voting on Friday, while the other two states will also hold a second phase of state polls.

Many Hindus voting for Modi and ‘civilisational glory’

Elderly Hindu monk Ram Bhakt, 96, is braving searing heat as he hobbles through the narrow lanes of Haridwar, one of India’s holiest cities in the Himalayas, to vote for Modi and his faith.

“I am voting for India’s civilisational glory,” said the wizened nonagenarian, clad in a simple saffron robe and resting his weight on a wooden walking stick, his wrinkled forehead smeared with vermilion and ash.

“Under Modi, our country has become what we sages had always hoped for,” he told the AFP news agency.

Shiv Shankar Giri, a young man serving in a Hindu monastic order in Haridwar, said he had cast his vote for “the one who had brought Ram”, the Hindu god.

Earlier this year, Modi inaugurated a grand Ram temple, built near the site in Ayodhya, another holy town in Uttar Pradesh state, where a 16th-century mosque was demolished by a Hindu mob in 1992.

“We are all voting for the person who has made Hinduism strong,” said the 28-year-old. “We are voting for Modi.”

Modi ‘doesn’t believe in democracy’: Academic

As Modi seeks a third straight term, India’s opposition parties and critics have repeatedly warned that the Hindu nationalist prime minister has turned increasingly illiberal.

“Modi has a very authoritarian mindset,” Christophe Jaffrelot, a political scientist, told the Associated Press.

“He doesn’t believe in democracy. He doesn’t believe in parliamentarianism,” said Jaffrelot, who has previously written about Modi and the Hindu right.

Modi insists India’s commitment to democracy is unchanged.

“India is not only fulfilling the aspirations of its 1.4 billion people, but is also providing hope to the world that democracy delivers and empowers,” he told a Summit for Democracy meeting in New Delhi last month.

40 percent voter turnout till 1pm local time: Reports

The average turnout recorded across 102 seats voting on Friday was nearly 40 percent at 1pm local time (07:30 GMT), media reports said.

Almost zero voting was recorded across six districts in the northeastern state of Nagaland after a prominent local organisation declared a “public emergency” and asked the locals to boycott the vote, India’s NDTV website reported.

The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation is demanding a separate administration with more financial autonomy, the report said.

Clashes between rival political groups were also reported from some constituencies in the eastern West Bengal state.

#LokSabhaElections2024 | Voter turnout till 1 pm for phase 1 of polling: Lakshadweep records the lowest – 29.91% Tripura records the highest – 53.04% pic.twitter.com/Pd03IigQ0K — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2024

How dubious YouTube ‘news’ channels are boosting Modi in election

Reporting from Mumbai

India, with more than 460 million users, is YouTube’s largest market, with four out of five internet users in India consuming its content.

As more and more Indians get their news from YouTube, what is on offer is not always news. Some of the most popular YouTube channels in India are offering a smattering of disinformation and Islamophobia, often cheerleading PM Modi and his BJP while targeting its critics and opposition leaders.

What makes these channels unique is that they claim to be “news” channels, ostensibly presenting fact-based reportage. But the reality is different.

Read the full story here .

‘We exist’: A Himayalan hamlet, forgotten by Indian democracy

Reporting from Totopara, India

As India votes, Jiten Toto from Totopara in West Bengal state says he has little hope that anything will change in a tiny corner of the country whose unique residents feel they have long been forgotten by the world’s largest democracy.

One of the smallest tribes in the world, the total Toto population is estimated at about 1,670 people with nearly 75 percent of them eligible to vote.

Many Totos say their small numbers and remote geography mean that politicians have repeatedly ignored their concerns.

“Not much has been done for our development. We still face poor roads and pathetic health services,” says Jiten. “No political leader after the poll has ever come here to take stock of our situation.”

You can read more of this story here .

What do Lakshadweep voters, caught in India-Maldives spat, want?

In December, a diplomatic crisis erupted between India and the Maldives when Modi visited the Indian Ocean island of Lakshadweep and released a video, inviting tourists.

The Maldives, South Asia’s smallest nation and a tourist paradise, perceived the visit as an Indian attempt to woo tourists away from its resorts. Some Maldives ministers used coarse language against Modi on social media, causing a dispute.

But back in Lakshadweep, voters do not want their islands caught up in a tussle between two countries. They have more fundamental questions for their government – and for Modi.

Trump expected back on the campaign trail in Wisconsin

Former President Donald Trump will make another stop in Wisconsin this week for a campaign rally as his criminal hush money trial continues in New York.

The presumptive Republican nominee will speak at the Waukesha County Expo Center on Wednesday, May 1, at 2 p.m. local time. This return visit marks his second to the state a month after he held a rally in Green Bay on April 2.

More: Trump trial live updates: Judge rules Trump violated gag order 9 times

Wisconsin could prove decisive in the 2024 presidential election

In a battleground state, both presidential frontrunners appeared focused on securing Wisconsin voters’ support during this election cycle. President Joe Biden visited Milwaukee in August last year to promote his jobs and climate agenda.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

A poll conducted by the Emerson College and The Hill in April revealed Trump led Biden by two points in the state. However, Wisconsin Independents and voters who belong to labor unions favor Biden over Trump, according to the poll.

More: Joe Biden trails Donald Trump in new national poll on 2024 election

Trump plans to attack Biden’s term in Waukesha rally

Trump’s speech Wednesday will “contrast the peace, prosperity, and security of his first term with Joe Biden’s failed presidency,” his campaign team said in a release.

“Biden’s failures are crushing the citizens of Wisconsin,” his team said in the release. “The bottom line is that the Badger State is suffering under Biden, and President Trump will once again deliver safety and affordability to Wisconsin!”

Trump plans to discuss crime, border policy, and the opioid crisis, his team added.

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_