india us modi visit

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.

Related Stories

What witnesses said about Trump, classified docs

• Apr 24, 4:58 PM

SCOTUS hears Trump claim of 'absolute immunity'

• Apr 25, 10:02 AM

Man kills wife, 3 kids in mass shooting: Police

• Apr 23, 12:35 PM

"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.

Related Topics

• President Biden

Harvey Weinstein rape conviction overturned in NY

• Apr 25, 4:54 PM

Trump is unindicted co-conspirator in elector case

• Apr 24, 3:05 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

• International
• Today’s Paper
• Mumbai News
• Chandigarh News
• Bangalore News
• Lucknow News
• Ahmedabad News
• Chennai News
• Also read in:

PM Modi US Visit Highlights: New and proud journey of India-US ties has begun, says PM Modi

Pm modi in us highlights: pm modi addressed a gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country and left for cairo..

PM Modi US Visit 2023 Highlights: Prime Minister wrapped up his three-day visit to the United States with an address to the Indian community members. Cheering up the crowd, he said that people of Indian origin will not have to leave the US for getting H-1B visa renewal, PTI reported. He departed for Cairo for his first state visit to Egypt.

He also emphasised that a new and proud journey of India-US ties has begun and the world is watching the two great democracies strengthening their bond.

Before that, he met with top CEOs at the White House in Washington, news agency PTI reported. On Friday, he said the India-US partnership is not of convenience but one of conviction, shared commitments and compassion.

In his address to young entrepreneurs and professionals at the John F Kennedy Center here, Modi said whenever India has become strong, the world has benefited.

United States president Joe Biden , Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Mahindra and Mahindra chairman Anand Mahindra, American astronaut Sunita Williams attended the meeting. He is set to meet US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. PM Modi will also address a gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country. Scroll down for the latest updates!

Meanwhile, during a state dinner on Thursday, PM Modi and US President Joe Biden hailed a new era in their countries’ relationship. “Two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers. Cheers,” Biden told Modi in a toast at the state dinner. “You are soft spoken, but when it comes to action, you are very strong,” PM Modi replied. On the guest list at the state dinner were several top executives from across the world, including Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani, Apple ’s Tim Cook and Google CEO Sunday Pichai.

Underlining that India and the US come from different circumstances and history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that this visit is one of the “great positive transformation ” and together they will demonstrate that “democracy is better and democracies deliver”. Modi, who addressed the joint session of the US Congress for almost an hour punctuated by applause and standing ovation for the second time, said, “When I was here in 2016, I said that our relationship is primed for a momentous future. That future is today.”

PM Modi US Visit Highlights: PM Modi meets US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at White House, attend State dinner | Scroll down for the latest updates

Derek O’Brien writes: The speech I wish Prime Minister Modi gave in the US

As a representative of the world’s largest democracy and an emissary of its goodwill to the world’s oldest democracy, I am honoured and delighted to be speaking once again before you. For democratic republics such as India and the United States, chambers and buildings such as this one — the Houses of Congress on Capitol Hill here in Washington, DC, and Parliament House in New  Delhi — are embodiments of popular sovereignty, repositories of the people’s trust and monuments blessed with the sacredness of a church, a temple, or indeed a mosque. Read more

Express View on PM Modi’s US visit: No longer defensive

When he addressed the joint session of the US Congress seven years ago this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that India had ended its “historic hesitations” in dealing with the United States. Modi’s claim had credibility, given his record on improving relations with the US during the first two years as prime minister. In the years that followed, PM Modi took consistent steps to expand the engagement with the US. Read more

A footnote once, tech is the new driver of India-US diplomacy

The incredibly ambitious agenda for technology cooperation — ranging from artificial intelligence to outer space and quantum computing to telecommunications — unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden has the potential to transform the character of India-US bilateral relations and contribute to the restructuring of the regional and global order.

In a joint statement issued after the talks at the White House, the two leaders committed their governments to “facilitate greater technology sharing, co-development, and co-production opportunities between U.S. and Indian industry, government, and academic institutions.” They also directed the two bureaucracies to make “regular efforts to address export controls” and “enhance high technology commerce” between the two nations. C Raja Mohan explains

PM Modi shares glimpses of his US visit

PM Modi tweeted, "Concluding a very special USA visit, where I got to take part in numerous programmes and interactions aimed at adding momentum to the India-USA friendship. Our nations will keep working together to make our planet a better place for the coming generations."

Attended a vibrant program celebrating our Indian diaspora. A heartfelt tribute to the strength, diversity and contribution of our overseas community. Their passion is our pride! pic.twitter.com/0CnlzIUm4K — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 24, 2023

'US govt decided to return more than 100 antiquities stolen from India'

During his address to the diaspora , PM Modi also mentioned that the US government has decided to return antiquities stolen from India. “I am happy that the American government has decided to return more than 100 antiquities of India that were stolen from us. These antiquities had reached the international markets. I express my gratitude to the American government for this,” he said.

'Delighted to interact with the diaspora': PM Modi

'The India-USA partnership is driven by conviction and compassion. It is also a friendship that has bipartisan support,' PM Modi tweeted

Delighted to interact with the diaspora at the community programme in Washington DC. https://t.co/zc9HODeLX5 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 23, 2023

New and proud journey of India-US ties has begun: PM Modi

Wrapping up his four-day State Visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that a new and proud journey of India-US ties has begun and the world is watching the two great democracies strengthening their bond. Addressing a cheerful gathering of Indian community members, Modi said the full potential of partnership between the two countries is yet to be realised and their ties is all about making the world better again in the 21st century, PTI reported

The two countries have seen convergence on global issues and their growing ties will be a boost for "make in India and make for world" efforts, he said, referring to agreements on technology transfer, boosting manufacturing and strengthening industrial supply chain.Both countries are taking strong steps for a better future, said the prime minister at the community address, which was the last programme of Modi in the US. He will now fly to Egypt on a State Visit at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. He announced that people of Indian origin will not have to leave the US for getting H-1B visa renewal, drawing massive praise from people present in the hall and outside listening to him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the India-US partnership is not of convenience but one of conviction, shared commitments and compassion.In his address to young entrepreneurs and professionals at the John F Kennedy Center here, Modi said whenever India has become strong, the world has benefited.The prime minister said this was seen during the Covid pandemic. When the world needed medicines, India increased its production and provided medicines, he said at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, according to PTI reports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has applauded Vice President Kamala Harris for her achievements, saying she was an inspiration to women across the world including India and the United States. According to PTI, Modi also heaped praise on Harris’ mother and said she kept her relationship with India alive despite living thousands of miles away.“Madam Vice President, you have taken this inspiration today to newer heights. Your achievements are an inspiration to not only the women in America but to women in India and women all across the world. This is really inspiring,” Modi said in his remarks at a State Department luncheon hosted in his honor by Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Friday.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his commitment to strengthening US-India ties, as she along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a luncheon for the Indian leader at the State Department.

Prime Minister Modi is currently in Washington on a state visit at the invitation of President Joe Biden. The two leaders held a historic summit on Thursday. Biden also held a state dinner for him on Thursday.

"Prime Minister Modi, President Joe Biden and I are grateful for your commitment to strengthening the ties...between the United States and India. And we share that commitment under your leadership and that of President Biden our partnership has become more expansive than it has ever been," she said.

Harris said over the past two and a half years she along with Prime Minister Modi advanced cooperation on climate change on clean energy, terrorism, cybercrime, public health and vaccine production.

"And during this trip, our countries have launched new areas of cooperation from artificial intelligence to semiconductors. As we look toward the future, the United States and India, the world's oldest and largest democracies, instinctively turn to each other and are increasingly aligned," Harris said.

Harris also mentioned her mother Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer scientist who hailed from Chennai, during her address.

She also spoke about her deep connection to India and her grandfather.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the combination of technology and talent will be a guarantee for a bright future for the world.

Modi made the remark at the India-US Hi-Tech handshake event organised at the White House and attended by US President Joe Biden and CEOs of top Indian and American companies.

"This morning (meeting) is only among a few friends but has brought with it the guarantee of a bright future," he said as President Biden nodded.

Modi, who is on a state visit to the US, also stressed that there is a great opportunity for everyone to take along Biden's vision and capabilities and India's aspirations and possibilities.

United States president Joe Biden Friday addressed the top CEOs at a meeting in Washington, news agency PTI reported.

VIDEO | US President Joe Biden addresses top CEOs during a meeting in Washington. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/cdDWzRHJ4t — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 23, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held one-on-one meeting with top CEOs in Washington, news agency PTI reported. United States president Joe Biden, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Mahindra and Mahindra chairman Anand Mahindra, American astronaut Sunita Williams attended the meeting, the news agency reported.

VIDEO | PM Modi holds one-on-one meeting with top CEOs in Washington. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/u6Nbu3rsGX — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 23, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the historic Al-Hakim Mosque during his two-day State visit to Egypt.

The visit is set to begin from June 24 (Friday). The visit to Cairo, the first by Modi as Prime Minister, comes weeks after Egypt skipped the G20 working group meeting in Srinagar along with China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

PM Modi will be visiting the historic Al-Hakim Mosque on his two-day State visit to Egypt which is set to begin from June 24. PTI will be on ground to bring you all the latest visuals from PM's visit. pic.twitter.com/nwPXsBQdB8 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 23, 2023

Dear Readers,

While  addressing the US Congress , Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that when he first visited the US as the PM, India was the world’ 10th largest economy and eight years later it is the fifth-largest economy of the world. Further, he said that soon India will be the world’s third-largest economy in the world.

This categorisation of economies is based on aggregate GDP levels stated in current US dollar terms. In other words, one calculates the market value of all goods and services that are produced in every country in a year and then expresses it in terms of US dollars.

CHART 1 shows the top 10 economies by size and their GDP level in trillions of dollars. There is a vast gap between the US and China, which occupy the first two slots, and the rest of the field. Udit Misra explains.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to United States as "unprecedented," saying that several diplomatic and strategic decisions taken during the visit shall help build a "new India" with economic progress, news agency PTI reported.

BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani, addressing a press conference at party's headquarters, said that the visit has led to "significant outcomes" in defence sector, mong others. "Fifteen standing ovations and over a hundred applause to the prime minister's speech at the US Congress, this was not only the hallmark of the prime minister's visit to the US but what is unprecedented is the Indo-US partnership in many critical areas which will help serve a better future the Indian populace," she added.

"Several diplomatic and strategic decisions were taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US which will help build a new India with the resolve of Atmanirbhar Bharat, and provide opportunities of economic progress to Indians," she said.

Irani said that NASA and ISRO will develop a "strategic framework" for human space flight cooperation by the end of 2023, and a joint Indo-US quantum coordination mechanism will help facilitate collaboration between the industry, academic and government, according to the report.

"Those who want to deflect attention from the prime minister's personal efforts undertaken in strategic cooperation in defence, artificial intelligence, ecosystem of semiconductor assembly line and critical mineral engagements would like to raise the minority bogey," she charged. As the general elections come closer such "political gas-lighting" is expected, she claimed. "What I am grateful to is the prime minister's steadfast focus on issues that are critical to Indian economy," she added, the report said. (PTI)

The decision of the United States and India to end six major trade disputes at World Trade Organization (WTO) is a "big victory" and will be mutually beneficial for both countries, India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, news agency PTI reported.

The resumption of talks at the Trade Policy Forum has started yielding significant results, Goyal said. New Delhi will also remove retaliatory customs duties on certain American products such as almonds, walnuts, and apples, according to the report.

A joint statement issued after the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Washington said the two leaders welcomed the resolution of six outstanding WTO disputes through mutually agreed solutions. "It is a big victory for India and is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both countries," Goyal told the reporters. He said, now there are no pending India-US disputes at WTO.

"So, India and the US by the end of this year will have no disputes. All the six major ones have gone," the minister said adding "for the first time bilaterally we are ending the disputes." In 2015, India lost a long-pending dispute over poultry imports from the US at WTO's dispute settlement body. India had 12 months to comply with the WTO order. The US had sought trade sanctions against India in this case.

The six disputes include countervailing measures on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from India, certain measures relating to solar cells and modules, measures relating to the renewable energy sector, export-related measures, certain measures on steel and aluminium products, and additional duties on some products from the US. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held  high-level talks  with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, following which the latter described the ties between the two nations as “stronger than ever.”

Modi, who is on his maiden ‘ state visit’  to the United States, also  addressed  the US Congress – becoming the first Indian prime minister to do so twice. “When India grows, it influences and uplifts everyone,” he told the American parliament.

In the evening, the Bidens hosted a grand  state banquet in Modi’s honour – a celebrity-studded affair attended by top Indian and American leaders. Read more

In a decision that will bring the two countries’ space programmes closer than ever before,   India on Thursday signed on to the three-year-old Artemis Accords , a US-led alliance seeking to facilitate international collaboration in planetary exploration and research.

In a related development, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will partner the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US in sending a joint mission to the International Space Station, a permanent laboratory in space, next year. It was not immediately clear whether the joint mission would include an Indian astronaut to the space station. Read more

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first State visit to the US unfolded and he met President Joe Biden, the announcement of a mega deal between the  General Electric Aerospace and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited  for the manufacture under licence in India of GE’s F414 engine for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2 sent a clear message – the beginning of the end of the technology denial regime.

Besides jet engines, deals on procuring drones, a space mission and manufacturing chips in India are among the big-ticket announcements. Read more

Mary Millben, a prominent African-American Hollywood actress and singer will perform on Friday at the concluding event for the Official State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, news agecy PTI reported. 

Millben is popular in India for her singing of the National Anthem Jan Gana Mana and Om Jai Jagdiseh Hare. She will perform the Indian national anthem at an invitation-only, diaspora event hosted by the United States Indian Community Foundation (USICF) at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attended the US state dinner hosted by US President at White House where both the leaders expressed that the occasion celebrates great bonds of friendship between India and the United States.

They hailed a new era in their nation’s relationship and spoke about deals on defence and commerce, which are aimed at countering China’s influence. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first State visit to the US will take bilateral ties in areas of space, defence, emerging technology and supply chains to the next level, Vice President Kamala Harris has said.

Modi became the first Indian leader to address the joint session of the US Congress twice on Thursday. He first addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress in 2016.

"The US-India partnership is stronger than ever. Together, our nations will shape the future as we work to create a more prosperous, secure, and healthy world," Harris' office tweeted on Thursday. (PTI)

Welcome, @narendramodi . The partnership between the United States and India is one of the most important of the 21st century, and this visit will take our partnership to the next level — from space, to defense, to emerging technology and supply chains. pic.twitter.com/B55N16jRt7 — Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 22, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the members of the US Congress for coming together to celebrate their country's ties with India, saying there must be a contest of ideas at home but people must also come together as one while speaking for the nation.

Modi's remarks in his address to a joint session of the US Congress on Thursday came against the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi's frequent swipes at his government during his visits abroad, which the ruling BJP has often projected as the opposition leader's bid to malign the country from foreign soil to target the central government.  (PTI) 

"Prime Minister's visit to the United States has resulted in significant outcomes in the areas of defence, renewable energy and critical mineral cooperation, to name a few," Union Minister Smriti Irani said while addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

She further said that the MoU on semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership will promote not only research but commercial opportunities as well.

Union Minister Smt. @smritiirani addresses a press conference at party headquarters in New Delhi. https://t.co/RTuCm1lcB0 — BJP (@BJP4India) June 23, 2023

Top American lawmakers have applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his address to the Joint Meeting of the US Congress that called for deepening the strong friendship between the two democracies, fostered by a range of close economic ties and expanded cooperation on areas like defence, trade and technology.

Representing 1.4 billion Indians, Modi who addressed the US Congress on Thursday, said it is always a great honour and an exceptional privilege to address the US Congress twice. This is the second time that the prime minister has addressed the US Congress, the first time being in 2016. (PTI) 

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

The menu, comprising mostly vegetarian dishes, taking note of the dietary restrictions of the visiting prime minister, included marinated millets, stuffed mushrooms, grilled corn kernel salad and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake.

More than 400 guests were invited for the dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a specially decorated pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House. (PTI)

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has said that technology cooperation featured prominently in the discussion between India and the US and described it as one of the most substantive outcomes of the ongoing state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Very clearly, technology, in particular advanced technology, across all domains ranging from defence to space and energy is one of the most important substantive outcomes," he told reporters in a media briefing on Thursday.

"Technology featured in talks, not in a limited way but technology cooperation across the ecosystem. This included technology transfer, services and working together in research among other domains," he added. (PTI)

During the official state dinner at the White House PM Narendra Modi talked about the growing popularity of Cricket in the US.

"Amidst the love for Baseball, Cricket is also getting popular in the US. The American team is trying their best to qualify for the Cricket World Cup to be held in India later this year. I wish them good luck and success," PM Modi said.

#WATCH | Amidst the love for Baseball, Cricket is also getting popular in the US. The American team is trying their best to qualify for the Cricket World Cup to be held in India later this year. I wish them good luck and success: PM Modi during the official State Dinner at The… pic.twitter.com/996i2fkdJx — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023

Plant-based   courses of millet and stuffed mushrooms were on the menu for some 400 guests invited to Thursday’s fancy White House state dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi is a vegetarian and first lady Jill Biden enlisted California-based chef Nancy Curtis, who specializes in plant-based cooking, to help in the kitchen. Biden previewed the menu and decor for the news media on Wednesday after she returned from an outing with the prime minister. Read more

On Thursday (local time), 'Naatu Naatu' was highlighted by PM Narendra Modi in a special address during the State dinner at the White House.

"With every passing day, Indians and Americans are getting to know each other better. We can pronounce each other's name correctly, we can understand each other's accent better... Children in India become Spider-Man on Halloween and America's youth is dancing to the tunes of 'Naatu Naatu'," PM Modi said. (ANI)

#WATCH | Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra briefs about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing State visit to the USA pic.twitter.com/vPuK2IpYr0 — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023

Acknowledging the progress made by Indian Americans in the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that they have played a significant role in further strengthening the inclusive society and economy of the US.

During his speech at the state dinner held at the White House, PM Modi said, "Indian Americans have come a long way in the US and have always found a respectful place in America's melting pot. Indian Americans have played a significant role in further strengthening the inclusive society and economy of the US." He also thanked US President Joe Biden for hosting a wonderful dinner and making the visit successful. (ANI)

#WATCH | US Congressmen lined up to take autographs and selfies with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his address to the joint sitting of the US Congress, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/wkPdacGjHN — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023

US President Joe Biden by his side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that “democracy is in our DNA”, and “there is absolutely no question of discrimination” regardless of “caste, creed, religion and gender”. He was responding to a journalist’s question about what steps his government is willing to take to improve the rights of minorities in India and to uphold free speech.

At the joint press conference where the leaders took questions from one reporter from each side, Biden, on being asked about raising issues of human rights and democracy with the visiting Prime Minister, said, “Prime Minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values… and that is the best part of our relationship. We are straightforward with each other and we respect each other.” Read more

In an almost one hour speech to the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon a variety of themes. They were met with applause and standing ovation several times by the US Congress members, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

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

Here are the 15 key takeaways from the PM’s speech

PM Naredra Modi thanked US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting the State Dinner in his honour at the White House. "I extend my heartfelt appreciation to US President Joe Biden for hosting this remarkable dinner today. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to First Lady Jill Biden for her exceptional hospitality and diligent efforts in ensuring the success of my visit," says Modi.

#WATCH | I want to thank US President Joe Biden for this wonderful dinner today. I would also like to thank First Lady Jill Biden for taking care of my visit to make it successful. Yesterday evening you opened the doors of your house for me: PM Modi during the official State… pic.twitter.com/ZQqzZV2kz5 — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023

Jill and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with Prime Minister Modi today, expresses US President Joe Biden. Tonight, we are celebrating the exceptional bonds of friendship between India and the United States, he added.

VIDEO | 'Tonight it's a fitting way to celebrate,' says US President Joe Biden as he hosts PM Modi for State Dinner at the White House. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/Bvvw8tK9q1 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 23, 2023

US President Joe Biden, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, make their way towards the venue for the State Dinner at the White House.

#WATCH | US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi head towards the venue for the State dinner at the White House. pic.twitter.com/IRlOuP4H72 — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Guests continue to arrive arriving at the White House ahead of the State Dinner hosted for PM Modi. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella are in attendance.

VIDEO | More visuals of guests arriving at the White House ahead of the State Dinner hosted for PM Modi. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/giMSq5Frcb — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the White House for State Dinner.

VIDEO | PM Modi poses for shutterbugs with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden ahead of the State Dinner hosted for him at the White House. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/RZQkfTKsPX — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2023

Prime Minister Modi categorically stated that terrorism is an enemy of humanity. PM Modi stressed the importance of confronting terrorism head-on while speaking to the joint session of the US Congress.

He said that radicalization and terrorism continue to pose serious challenges to the entire world even 20 years after 9/11 and 10 years after the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. 

It is essential for us to defeat any organisations that sponsor and export terrorism, adds Modi.

Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs and buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the joint sitting of the US Congress pic.twitter.com/mxfKyg6E1U — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Speaking to the US Congress' joint session, the prime minister declared that India had reached a critical milestone by becoming the only G20 nation to carry out its obligation under the Paris Agreement.

India has outperformed expectations by achieving its objective of using more than 40% renewable energy sources, which was attained nine years earlier than the initial target date of 2030, said PM Modi.

#WATCH | "...We became the only G20 country to meet its Paris commitment. We made renewables account for over 40% of our energy sources 9 years ahead of the target of 2030. But we did not stop there. At the Glasgow Summit, I proposed mission LiFE...Our mission is pro-planet… pic.twitter.com/6qnS29U4ZI — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

PM Modi stresses the urgent need to put an end to the bloodshed in the Ukraine war, urging for all possible efforts to be made in order to achieve that.

PM Modi said that India lives by the motto of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' — that the world is one family. He emphasized that it is the same attitude that India highlights as it chairs the G20 Summit.

In modern India, women are at the forefront of shaping a better future, says PM Modi during his address to the joint session of the US Congress.

He highlights that India's vision extends beyond mere development that benefits women; it encompasses a paradigm of women-led development, where women take charge of the journey towards progress.

#WATCH | "...today in modern India, women are leading us to a better future. India's vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from a humble tribal background to be our Head of… pic.twitter.com/VwvucEA6VX — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Referring to the example of Draupadi Murmu, PM Modi applauded the ascent of a woman from a tribal background to become the President of India.

#WATCH | '...today in modern India, women are leading us to a better future. India's vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from a humble tribal background to be our Head of… pic.twitter.com/VwvucEA6VX — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

When I first visited the US as Prime Minister, India held the position of the 10th largest economy globally. Today, I am proud to announce that India has risen to become the 5th largest economy. And I assure you, we are on track to become the third-largest economy in the near future. Not only are we expanding in size, but we are also growing at an accelerated pace, adds PM Modi.

He asserts that India's progress and economic growth have far-reaching implications, benefiting not only the nation itself but also having an impact on the entire world. When India grows, it influences and uplifts everyone, says PM Modi during his address to the joint session of the US Congress.

#WATCH | 'When I first visited the US as a PM, India was the 10th largest economy in the world. Today, India is the 5th largest economy. India will be the 3rd largest economy soon. We are not only growing bigger but we are also growing faster. When India grows the whole world… pic.twitter.com/saO9qgM7IA — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Democracy is a sacred and shared value embraced by both India and the United States. He acknowledges that throughout history, it has been evident that democracy upholds the principles of equality and dignity, says PM Modi. Democracy, according to him, is not just an idea, but a vibrant spirit that encourages open discussions and debates. It is deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of both nations.

PM Modi further emphasizes that India is fortunate to have cherished these democratic values since time immemorial. He affirms the commitment to work together with the United States in order to create a brighter future for the world. By fostering democracy and upholding its values, the Prime Minister believes that they can collectively contribute to a better world for generations to come.

#WATCH | Democracy is one of our sacred and shared values. Throughout history, one thing has been clear, democracy is the spirit that supports equality and dignity. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse. Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and… pic.twitter.com/UmikrInO2V — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts that the foundation of America is inspired by the vision of a nation of equal citizens. He emphasises the presence of millions of people with Indian ancestors throughout the country, some of whom are proudly seated in the chamber, including one directly behind him, pointing to the Indian origin of US Vice President Kamala Harris.

#WATCH | 'I can relate to the battles of patience, persuasion and policy. I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I am delighted to see you come together to celebrate the bonds between two great democracies - India and the United States,' PM Narendra Modi addresses… pic.twitter.com/VwS6T7sj1D — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the US House of Representatives, where he is warmly welcomed by the enthusiastic chants of 'Modi Modi'.

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at the US House of Representatives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly address the Joint Session of the United States Congress.

#WATCH | US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at the US House of Representatives, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the joint session of the US Congress. pic.twitter.com/2M50A7NHhk — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Prior to his address to the Joint Session of the United States Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy at the US Capitol.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy at the US Capitol. (Source: Speaker's office) pic.twitter.com/X4VacW1rEz — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Capitol Hill, where he will address the Joint Session of the United States Congress.

#WATCH | Washington, DC | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Capitol Hill where he will address the Joint Sitting of the US Congress shortly. pic.twitter.com/82IR0bbtQF — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Joint Session of the United States Congress shortly. Outside Capitol Hill, members of the Indian diaspora are waiting for PM Modi.

Washington, DC | Members of the Indian diaspora stand outside Capitol Hill, as they await the arrival of PM Narendra Modi. PM will address the Joint Sitting of the US Congress shortly. pic.twitter.com/ZQf4XvX3kt — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

PM Modi claims that the two countries' economic relationship is booming, with trade nearly doubling over the last decade to approach $191 billion.

He emphasises that this expansion has resulted in the development of tens of thousands of high-quality jobs in both India and the United States. PM Modi goes on to say that as a result of this strong economic alliance, one million American jobs in 44 states will be supported.

#WATCH | Our economic relationship is booming. Trade between our countries has almost doubled over the past decade to more than $191 billion supporting tens of thousands of good jobs in both India and the United States. One million American jobs across 44 states will be supported… pic.twitter.com/apMtQDCPQZ — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

At a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House, PM Modi declares that the partnership between India and the US knows no bounds.

“Even Sky isn’t the limit for India and US partnership. Indian-Americans are the real strength between India and the US and their relations”, says PM Modi at a joint PC with US President Joe Biden at the White House. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/Hfiq35dEP1 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2023

PM Modi acknowledges that Indian-Americans are the true backbone of the India-US relationship, emphasizing their vital role in strengthening the ties between the two nations.

PM Modi expressed his surprise regarding the statements made about discrimination against religious minorities, emphasizing the deeply ingrained democratic values in both India and America.

The PM highlighted that democracy is an integral part of their national identity and shared heritage, flowing through their veins and spirits. Modi affirmed that democracy is not just a concept but a living reality manifested in their constitutions and governments.

Democracy can deliver and when we talk about democracy, there is no discrimination on basis of caste, creed, religion etc: PM Modi — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2023

US President Joe Biden underlines that the partnership between the United States and India as one of the most significant in the world, with unprecedented strength, closeness, and dynamism compared to any other time in history.

President Biden revealed that Indian companies are declaring over $2 billion in investments in the United States during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington.

The partnership is among the most consequential in the world that is stronger, closer and more dynamic in any time in history: US President Joe Biden issues joint press statement with PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/PtXpFW9LiW — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023

US President Joe Biden and PM Modi enter the East Room of the White House for a joint press briefing.

US President Joe Biden and PM Modi arrive at the East Room of the White House for joint press briefing. #PMModiUSVisit pic.twitter.com/hy4fYhnO5c — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2023

India-US relationship is not only important for both the nations but also for the world. Today holds a special importance in history of India-US relations today, we discussed several regional and global issues during our meeting: PM Modi

The India-US relationship is reaching a new high point. But the significance of  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip  to the US will be obscured by short-term political framings. There will be the sheer political theatre of the US courting India and the Prime Minister leveraging this moment to shore up his domestic political legitimacy. There will be the disappointment of those who think the Biden Administration is actually going out of its way to give its imprimatur on the state of India’s democracy. But “democracy” was not going to be an issue in this phase of India-US relations.

PRATAP BHANU MEHTA WRITES | Making of a high point

PM Modi will address a joint session of the US Congress on June 22 , becoming the first Indian prime minister to be accorded this honour twice. Before him, only a handful of Indian PMs have given speeches to US Congressmen and Congresswomen. Here is a look at all those addresses and the context in which they were delivered.

Who are the Indian PMs who have addressed US Congress in the past? Read here

State visits are the highest-ranked category of foreign visits to the US, where the head of a state visits the US on the formal invitation of the US President. Before Modi, the only two state visits under President Joe Biden have been by France’s President Emmanuel Macron and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol. Invitation for a state visit signifies that the US considers the guest nation an important friend and ally.

Express Explained | What is a state dinner, which he will attend at the White House?

• The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
• Modi in US 2023
• Narendra Modi
• Elections 2024
• Political Pulse
• Entertainment
• Movie Review
• Newsletters
• Gold Rate Today
• Silver Rate Today
• Petrol Rate Today
• Diesel Rate Today
• Web Stories
• Premium Stories
• Express Shorts
• Health & Wellness
• Board Exam Results

South Asia Brief: Modi’s State Visit Aims to Cement U.S.-India Partnership

Create an FP account to save articles to read later and in the FP mobile app.

ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN

World Brief

• Editors’ Picks
• Africa Brief

China Brief

• Latin America Brief

South Asia Brief

Situation report.

• Flash Points
• War in Ukraine
• Israel and Hamas
• U.S.-China competition
• Biden's foreign policy
• Trade and economics
• Artificial intelligence
• Asia & the Pacific
• Middle East & Africa

Fareed Zakaria on an Age of Revolutions

Ones and tooze, foreign policy live.

Spring 2024 Issue

Print Archive

FP Analytics

• In-depth Special Reports
• Issue Briefs
• Power Maps and Interactive Microsites
• FP Simulations & PeaceGames
• Graphics Database

From Resistance to Resilience

The atlantic & pacific forum, redefining multilateralism, principles of humanity under pressure, fp security forum.

By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.

Your guide to the most important world stories of the day

Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent

The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week

Weekly update on what’s driving U.S. national security policy

Evening roundup with our editors’ favorite stories of the day

One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture

Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors

A curated selection of our very best long reads

Modi’s State Visit Aims to Cement U.S.-India Partnership

Bilateral constraints haven’t gotten in the way of rapidly deepening ties..

• Foreign & Public Diplomacy
• Science and Technology
• United States
• Michael Kugelman

Welcome to  Foreign Policy ’s South Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Washington for a state visit, Pakistan mourns the loss of dozens of its citizens in a tragic shipwreck off Greece , and authorities struggle to rein in ethnic violence in the Indian state of Manipur .

Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.

Modi’s State Visit Begins

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Washington for a three-day state visit, during which he will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden. Recent conversations with U.S. officials suggest the core focus of Modi’s trip will be security, technology, trade, and people-to-people cooperation. New deals are expected on defense, semiconductors, space, higher education, and visas, among others.

Modi’s trip marks just the third time that Washington has accorded an Indian leader the honor of a state visit. It underscores the strength of U.S.-India partnership, as well as how far it has come. The two countries still face challenges, from bureaucratic hurdles to trade tensions . But these obstacles haven’t prevented their ties from deepening in relatively little time—a reality Biden aims to acknowledge through the state visit.

Sixty years ago, then-Indian President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan traveled to Washington for the first state visit by an Indian leader, on the invitation of then-U.S. President John F. Kennedy. At the time, bilateral relations were warm: At the beginning of the Cold War, U.S. concerns about communist China prompted Washington to strengthen partnership with New Delhi. The United States backed India during its 1962 border war with China.

But in 1971, then-U.S. President Richard Nixon’s decision to pursue normalization with China brought the United States closer to Pakistan, India’s rival. That contributed to New Delhi’s decision that year to ink a friendship treaty with Moscow. As a result, the 1970s and 1980s were a grim period for U.S.-India relations. They experienced a boost when Indian liberalization reforms created opportunities for trade in the 1990s—until Washington sanctioned New Delhi when it became a nuclear weapons state in 1998.

Only in the 2000s did U.S.-India relations enjoy a true renaissance, amid converging interests: first over the threat of international terrorism, and then over China’s growing clout. The bilateral partnership has since rapidly intensified. Chinese provocations in the South China Sea , Taiwan Strait , and along the India-China border have crystallized the urgency of cooperating to counter a common threat. Deepening business partnerships and a growing Indian American community have increased trust and goodwill between Washington and New Delhi.

In recent years, the United States and India have ramped up arms sales, intelligence sharing , and military-to-military cooperation . Technology , clean energy , and higher education have also become fast-growing spaces for cooperation. The scope of this cooperation has also expanded, from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean and even to the Middle East—through their membership in the so-called I2U2 grouping, which also includes Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

To be sure, some of the mistrust between the two countries dating to the Cold War era still lingers. Many Indians decried the slow U.S. response to India’s catastrophic COVID-19 surge in 2021, with some wondering if Russia was still India’s most dependable partner. But such incidents are anomalies. (The delay was likely bureaucratic; Biden had recently taken office and many senior India posts in the administration remained empty.)

The growth in U.S.-India ties is all the more remarkable given the relationship’s considerable constraints. India’s democracy has faltered —a concern for the Biden administration, which emphasizes the importance of shared values. India declines to be a formal U.S. ally, opting to safeguard its strategic autonomy. Meanwhile, each country maintains partnerships with the other’s top rival: Washington with Islamabad, and New Delhi with Moscow.

The two countries have so far navigated these challenges with a combination of flexibility , creativity , and the U.S. willingness to let hard interests prevail over values-based considerations—to the frustration of human rights activists and other critics of India.

Modi’s state visit is poised to overcome another constraint: misplaced expectations. Heady talk is now part of the relationship, which U.S. officials call the most important of the 21st century, and it often raises expectations for deliverables that don’t materialize at high-level summits. The two sides finalized a nuclear cooperation deal in 2008, even though India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It was regarded as a milestone for the partnership, but they haven’t signed a comparable agreement since.

However, this week will bring many agreements, including some that have remained elusive, such as a long-rumored armed drones package and unprecedented defense technology transfers . There may even be forward movement on addressing U.S. liability concerns that have inhibited the implementation of the nuclear cooperation deal. Modi’s visit comes at a moment when both countries are experiencing some of their worst tensions with China in decades, underscoring the strategic imperatives of their partnership.

Much has changed for the U.S.-India relationship since Radhakrishnan came to Washington in June 1963. It suffered through many lean years before evolving into what it is today: a stable, strategic partnership with strong support in both capitals.

What We’re Following

Pakistani tragedy at sea. Horrible details have emerged about the fate of the migrants onboard an overloaded trawler that sank off the coast of Greece last week. The boat carried people from Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, as well as many Pakistanis; local media outlets report that as many as 300 Pakistani nationals died when the ship capsized.

All on board were suffering from severe hunger and thirst before the ship went down. But according to survivor accounts provided to Greek coast guard officials and leaked to the Guardian , the Pakistanis on board “were forced below deck,” where they were maltreated by crew members when they tried to leave the vulnerable area.

The tragedy underscores the desperate lengths that some Pakistanis will go to find better opportunities at a moment of severe economic stress . In the wake of the shipwreck, Islamabad has cracked down on human traffickers, leading to 10 arrests in Karachi and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, although few details have emerged about their connection to the trawler.

Violence in Manipur. Nearly two months after ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, the unrest between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities continues. It has displaced around 50,000 people, and more than 100 people have died. Authorities have struggled to rein in violence in the state; last Thursday, a mob burned the home of a senior federal government official, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

The Manipur government, controlled by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has taken heat from locals for not doing enough to stop the unrest. Some Kukis have accused state officials of siding with the Meiteis. The federal government has deployed 40,000 troops to stabilize the situation and attempted to broker talks, with little success. The violence is a sobering reminder of India’s communal fault lines—and the state’s struggles to address them.

In Foreign Policy , Sushant Singh argues that the violence in Manipur will have ripple effects on India’s disputed border with China—and beyond.

Under the Radar

Bollywood is known to generate controversy, but rarely enough to prompt cities outside India to ban all of its films . Yet that’s what’s happened in two major cities in Nepal this week in response to Adipurush , a movie inspired by the Hindu epic Ramayana —and one of the most expensive films ever made in India. The film describes Sita, the wife of Lord Ram, as “India’s daughter.” But Hindus in Nepal believe she was born in the Nepali city of Janakpur.

The mayor of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, ordered theaters to stop playing Bollywood films until the line is changed. The mayor of Pokhara followed suit . Adipurush has been controversial in India as well, with critics lambasting it for being indecent and trivializing some characters from the Ramayana . Interestingly, several leaders of India’s BJP are thanked in the film’s closing credits.

Subjecting sacred ancient religious literature to contemporary artistic interpretations can be sensitive. In the case of Adipurush , it’s had cross-border consequences. On Sunday, one of the film’s co-writers conceded that the “India’s daughter” line will be amended.

More From FP on Modi’s State Visit

• Washington’s Perennial India Fantasy by Howard W. French
• For Biden and Modi, Interests Prevail Over Ideology by C. Raja Mohan
• Why India and the U.S. Are Closer Than Ever by Rishi Iyengar

Regional Voices

Former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi , writing in Dawn , laments how the government in Islamabad hasn’t formally committed to holding parliamentary elections—currently scheduled for no later than mid-October—on time. “Any effort to play with the election date beyond what is constitutionally stipulated would be disastrous for the country,” she warns.

In the Daily Mirror , scholar Ahilan Kadirgamar argues that International Monetary Fund assistance is not the solution to Sri Lanka’s economic ills. “With more of the same policies of austerity, and without stimulus to the economy in the form of state support to critical sectors, the hemorrhage is likely to continue,” he writes.

An editorial in Kuensel details the policy challenges posed by street hawking in Bhutan. It calls for a response that emphasizes “the need for a comprehensive and practical solution that balances the socioeconomic realities of the hawkers with the concerns of public safety, urban planning, and formal businesses.”

Michael Kugelman is the writer of Foreign Policy ’s weekly South Asia Brief. He is the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington. Twitter:  @michaelkugelman

Join the Conversation

Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription.

Already a subscriber? Log In .

Subscribe Subscribe

View Comments

Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now.

Not your account? Log out

Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs.

Change your username:

I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required)

Confirm your username to get started.

The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language.

Sign up for Editors' Picks

A curated selection of fp’s must-read stories..

You’re on the list! More ways to stay updated on global news:

Recent Coverage

Israel is desperate to replace palestinian farmhands, india’s courts must keep their autonomy, modi’s ‘make in india’ didn’t make jobs, the world’s biggest election is set to begin, why modi is so popular, editors’ picks.

• 1 What Columbia’s Protests Reveal About America
• 2 New Zealand Becomes the Latest Country to Pivot to the U.S.
• 3 Qatar Is Ready to Call Netanyahu’s Hostage Bluff
• 4 Xi Jinping Has Tough Economic Choices Ahead
• 5 What a Real Civil War Would Do to the U.S. Economy

Blinken, Xi Discuss Russia's War, Product Dumping in Beijing

What the u.s. military withdrawal from niger means for counterterrorism in the sahel, columbia university protests: what they mean for america, foreign policy, and israel-palestine, what a real civil war would do to the u.s. economy, israeli resignation and german spies: foreign policy's weekly international news quiz, more from foreign policy, arab countries have israel’s back—for their own sake.

Last weekend’s security cooperation in the Middle East doesn’t indicate a new future for the region.

Forget About Chips—China Is Coming for Ships

Beijing’s grab for hegemony in a critical sector follows a familiar playbook.

‘The Regime’ Misunderstands Autocracy

HBO’s new miniseries displays an undeniably American nonchalance toward power.

Washington’s Failed Africa Policy Needs a Reset

Instead of trying to put out security fires, U.S. policy should focus on governance and growth.

What Columbia’s Protests Reveal About America

Xi jinping has tough economic choices ahead, qatar is ready to call netanyahu’s hostage bluff, new zealand becomes the latest country to pivot to the u.s., ukraine is still outgunned by russia, blinken-xi talks highlight continued areas of disagreement, the u.s. military is getting kicked out of niger, what in the world.

Sign up for World Brief

FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day, written by Alexandra Sharp . Delivered weekdays.

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

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

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

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

Keep reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

Confronting China

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

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

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

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

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

Expanding ties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Consolidating control

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PM Modi In US Highlights: PM Modi Concludes 4-Day US Visit, Next Stop Egypt

Pm modi us visit live updates: prime minister modi was visiting the us from june 21-24 at the invitation of president biden and the first lady..

PM Modi in US Live Updates: This is PM Modi's first state visit to the US.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi capped his power-packed US state visit with an address to the Indian community in Washington which focussed on visas and 'new India'. "A lot of you have had issues with  H1B visa renewals . We have now decided that you will not have to go outside america to renew these visas. This visa will get renewed in America itself. We will try and implement a similar procedure for L category visas in the future," he said.

His speech came hours after he addressed a group of young entrepreneurs and professionals at the John F Kennedy Center in Washington, said the partnership between India and America "is not of convenience, it is a partnership of conviction, shared commitments".

Earlier in the day, PM Modi attended the state department luncheon with Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Prime Minister Modi attended the State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House yesterday, hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The dinner was attended by big names in the tech world and billionaire industrialists such as Mukesh Ambani, Google CEO Sunder Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Before that, PM Modi addressed the US Congress after he held bilateral talks with Joe Biden at the Oval Office.

Prime Minister Modi was visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Biden and the First Lady.

Here are the Live Updates on PM Modi's US Visit:

After the successful visit to the USA, PM @narendramodi emplanes for Egypt. pic.twitter.com/a5YX446nTG - PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 24, 2023

#WATCH | Google CEO Sundar Pichai after meeting PM Modi, says "It was an honour to meet PM Modi during the historic visit to the US. We shared with the Prime Minister that Google is investing $10 billion in India's digitisation fund. We are announcing the opening of our global... pic.twitter.com/ri42wI3Adv - ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023

#WATCH | US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti speaks on PM Modi's visit, "I feel that AI is the future- America and India. We had more things that we got done than any other in the history. This was an exceptional visit. We are now in the deepest and the broadest friendship of... pic.twitter.com/CQX5YxqUqw - ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023

Amazon to invest another 15 billion dollars in India : Andrew Jassy, Amazon CEO #ModiInAmerica pic.twitter.com/Ht6IrHnFk4 - Megha Prasad (@MeghaSPrasad) June 23, 2023

Front-page coverage of PM @narendramodi 's visit to USA in major US dailies. Truly a transformational visit! pic.twitter.com/yjdkAiwmFq - Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 23, 2023

#HistoricStateVisit2023 #IndiaUSAPartnership Testimony to the friendship between India and the US, the iconic lower Manhattan landmark @OneWTC sparkling in the lights of tricolor, welcoming @narendramodi on the historic State Visit. @IndianEmbassyUS @ANI @Yoshita_Singh ... pic.twitter.com/oZw4gSqWhU - India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) June 23, 2023

🤝 #IndiaUSAPartnership Welcoming Prime Minister @narendramodi on the #HistoricStateVisit2023 & celebrating #IndiaUSAFriendship Bathed in the colors of India's flag, the breathtaking Niagara Falls look magnificent amidst fireworks. Thank you Council of Heritage and Arts of... pic.twitter.com/nn8mHa4i54 - India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) June 23, 2023

Together, the United States and India will shape the future as we work towards a world that is open, prosperous, secure, and resilient. pic.twitter.com/E7NFDpEmGX - President Biden (@POTUS) June 23, 2023

• PM said that even after the two decades of 9/11 and one decade of 26/11, the problem of terrorism remains a pressing challenge for the global community.
• Clearly, what he was highlighting was the need for the international community to recognize that the people who sponsor terrorism, support terrorism, they continue to pose a serious challenge to the safety and security of our societies and have to be very sternly and firmly dealt with
• When the Prime Minister and the President held their discussions all aspects of such global challenges were discussed between the two and how India and US could cooperate to mitigate, address, try and deal with this challenge as comprehensively as possible that was also discussed between the two leaders.
• And going forward, it would be our effort to see how some of those discussions can translate into concrete. Cooperative decision between India and the US
• When the PM and President Biden held discussion after the ceremonial welcome, technology featured very prominently in the discussion
• 20-25 areas of technology partnership that have been identified in the joint statement are a direct result of the discussion between the two leaders
• India, US to work on developing technology
• India, US to partner in semiconductor, space
• India, US to collaborate on cybersecurity
• General Electric, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited signed mou on jet engine production
• India to procure predator drones from US
• India now a signatory to Artemis Accords

Track Budget 2023 and get Latest News Live on NDTV.com.

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world .

India Elections | Read Latest News on Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Live on NDTV.com . Get Election Schedule , information on candidates, in-depth ground reports and more - #ElectionsWithNDTV

Watch Live News:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Countering China

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts

Become an FT subscriber

Try unlimited access Only $1 for 4 weeks

Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.

• Global news & analysis
• Expert opinion
• Special features
• FirstFT newsletter
• Videos & Podcasts
• Android & iOS app
• FT Edit app
• 10 gift articles per month

Explore more offers.

Standard digital.

• FT Digital Edition

Premium Digital

Print + premium digital, weekend print + standard digital, weekend print + premium digital.

Today's FT newspaper for easy reading on any device. This does not include ft.com or FT App access.

• 10 additional gift articles per month
• Global news & analysis
• Exclusive FT analysis
• Videos & Podcasts
• FT App on Android & iOS
• Everything in Standard Digital
• Premium newsletters
• Weekday Print Edition
• FT Weekend Print delivery
• Everything in Premium Digital

Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

• Everything in Print

Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

Terms & Conditions apply

Explore our full range of subscriptions.

Why the ft.

See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times.

International Edition

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

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

• By Sushmita Pathak

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“China is playing matchmaker here,” Rossow said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.

Mobile Menu Overlay

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

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

1.  A Technology Partnership for the Future:

• Strengthening Semiconductor Supply Chains:   Micron Technology, Inc.  – with support from the India Semiconductor Mission – will invest more than $800 million toward a new $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India.   Applied Materials  has announced it will build a Semiconductor Centre for Commercialization and Innovation in India to further strengthen our nations’ semiconductor supply chain diversification. And,  Lam Research will train 60,000 Indian engineers through its “Semiverse Solution” to accelerate India’s semiconductor education and workforce development goals.   The U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association and India Electronics Semiconductor Association released an interim readiness assessment to identify near-term industry opportunities and facilitate the long-term strategic development of complementary semiconductor ecosystems. 
• Critical Minerals Partnership:  The United States welcomes India as the newest partner of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), established to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable critical energy minerals supply chains globally through targeted financial and diplomatic support of strategic projects along the value chain.  India will join 12 other partner countries, plus the European Union, in advancing our common objectives of diversifying and securing our critical mineral supply chains. The MSP was started in June 2022 with the expressed goals of exchanging information on critical mineral sector opportunities to enable diversified private sector investment and catalyze public sector financing, while adhering to high environmental, social, and governance standards to advance sustainable economic development opportunities.  India’s Epsilon Carbon Limited will be investing $650 million in a greenfield electric vehicle battery component factory, hiring over 500 employees over the course of five years. When approved, this synthetic graphite anode processing facility will be the largest Indian investment in the U.S. electric vehicle battery industry in American history. 
• Advanced Telecommunications:  India and the United States launched public-private Joint Task Forces, one on the development and deployment of Open RAN systems and one on advanced telecoms research and development.  India’s Bharat 6G and the U.S. Next G Alliance will co-lead this public-private research.  This work will reduce costs, increase security, and improve resiliency of telecommunication networks.  With financing from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and in partnership with USAID, India and the United States are also teaming up to launch Open RAN deployments in both countries to demonstrate the scalability of this technology to enhance its competitiveness in international markets.  The leaders also welcomed participation of Indian companies in the U.S. Rip and Replace Program. 
• New Frontiers in Space:  India has signed the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision of space exploration for the benefit of all humankind.  India joins 26 other countries committed to peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation that will enable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  NASA will provide advanced training to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronauts with the goal of launching a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024. Additionally, NASA and the ISRO are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation by the end of 2023.  India approved a $318 million investment to construct a Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in India—that will work in tandem with similar facilities in the United States, Europe, and Japan to look for ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves, that provide insights into the physical origins of the universe.  Scientific payloads for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) have been delivered to India and will be launched in 2024, and will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems like natural hazards and sea level rise.  The US Geological Survey and ISRO are negotiating expanded bilateral data exchange that will enable greater insight about the earth, including for a range of applications, such as climate resiliency, sustainable development and management of natural resources, and disaster management support.
• Quantum, Advanced Computing, and Artificial Intelligence:  India and the United States have established a Joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both our countries. The United States also welcomed India’s participation in both the Quantum Entanglement Exchange and the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, which facilitates exchanges on quantum between nations. Additionally, —the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund launched a $2 million grant for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, building off of the Implementation Arrangements signed by India and the United States to further support joint research on quantum, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and advanced wireless technologies. —The U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund launched a $2 million grant for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies. Through its AI Research Center in Bengaluru, Google is building models to support over 100 Indian languages, and working with the Indian Institute of Science to support open sourcing of speech data for AI models.  It has also partnered with IIT Madras to establish a multidisciplinary Center for Responsible AI.
• Cutting-edge Research:    India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is making a $140 million in-kind contribution 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. 
• Innovation Handshake:  The U.S. National Science Foundation announced 35 joint research collaborations with 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 systemsTo support the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue will launch a new “Innovation Handshake” to connect each country’s start-up ecosystems. This program will address regulatory hurdles to cooperation, promote job growth in emerging technologies, and highlight opportunities for hi-tech upskilling. 
• Fiber Optics Investments:  India’s Sterlite Technologies Limited has invested $100 million in the construction of an optical fiber cable manufacturing unit near Columbia, South Carolina, which will facilitate $150 million in annual exports of optical fiber from India.

2. Next-Generation Defense Partnership:

• GE F414 Engine Co-Production:  The United States and India welcome a groundbreaking proposal by General Electric (GE) to jointly produce the F414 Jet Engine in India.  GE and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited have signed a MoU, and a manufacturing license agreement has been submitted for Congressional Notification.  This trailblazing initiative to manufacture F-414 engines in India—the first of its kind—will enable greater transfer of U.S. jet engine technology than ever before. 
• General Atomics MQ-9Bs:   India intends to procure armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAVs. This advanced technology will increase India’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
• New Sustainment and Ship Repair: The United States Navy has concluded a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with Larsen and Toubro Shipyard in Kattupalli  (Chennai) and is finalizing agreements with Mazagon Dock Limited (Mumbai) and Goa Shipyard (Goa).  These agreements will allow mid-voyage U.S. Navy ships to undergo service and repair at Indian shipyards, facilitating cost-effective and time-saving sustainment activites for U.S. military operations across multiple theaters.
• More Robust Defense Cooperation:   The United States and India advanced steps to operationalize tools that will allow us to increase our defense cooperation.  The United States and India resolved to strengthen undersea domain awareness cooperation.  The agreement to place three Indian liaison officers in U.S. commands for the first time– deepening our partnership and critical information sharing.  The United States and India have also commenced negotiations for a Security of Supply Arrangement and Reciprocal Defense Procurement Arrangement that will enable the supply of defense goods in the event of unanticipated supply chain disruptions.   The United States and India finalized a Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap that provides policy direction to defense industries and enables co-production of advanced defense systems as well as collaborative research, testing, and prototyping of the technologies that will determine the future of military power.
• Defense “Innovation Bridge”:  The India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)—a network of university, incubator, corporate, think tank, and private investment stakeholders—was inaugurated on June 21, 2023.  This innovative program will facilitate joint innovation on defense technologies and accelerate the integration of India’s budding private sector defense industry with the U.S. defense sector. 
• Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap:  A new defense industrial cooperation roadmap will provide policy direction to defense industries to enable and accelerate the co-production of advanced defense systems as well as collaborative research, testing, and prototyping of the technologies that will determine the future of military power.

3.  Shared Prosperity and Delivering for our Peoples:

• Domestic Visa Renewals:  The U.S. Department of State will launch a pilot this year to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas, including for Indian nationals, who will no longer be required to leave the country for renewal in eligible categories.  The Department of State will implement this for an expanded pool of H1B and L visa holders in 2024, with the aim of broadening the program to include other eligible categories.
• New Consulates:  The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.  India looks forward to opening its consulate in Seattle later this year, and to announcing two new consulates in the United States. 
• Student Exchanges and Scholarships:  The United States last year issued 125,000 visas to Indian students, a record.  Indian students are on pace to become the largest foreign student community in the United States, with a 20 percent increase last year alone.  India and the United States have launched a new Joint Task Force of the Association of American Universities and leading Indian educational institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology.  Councils on each side have prepared interim recommendations for expanding research and university partnerships between the two countries.  Additional Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowships for research, administered by the U.S.-India Educational Fund, will advance cooperation between leading scholars in India and the United States on climate change.  The United States is enabling up to 100 additional U.S. undergraduate students to study or intern in India via the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. New funding for Department of State Study Abroad Engagement Grants will extend new study abroad engagement grant funding to bolster Indian academic institutions’ capacity to develop study abroad programming with U.S. colleges and universities.  India is also funding the establishment of a Tamil Studies Chair at the University of Houston and welcomes the appointment to the Vivekananda Visiting Professorship at the University of Chicago. 
• University Research Partnerships:  Leveraging the talent and ambition of both our countries, India and the United States welcomed the launch of a university network of  Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes , which will help create more research partnerships and exchanges in agriculture, energy, health, and technology. 
• Cultural Property: The United States and India are continuing negotiations for 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.
• Historic Aviation Deals:  Air India’s historic agreement with Boeing to acquire more than 200 American-made aircraft, announced in February 2023, will support more than one million American jobs across 44 states and contribute to the modernization of the civil aviation sector in India, which is among the fastest growing in the world.  Boeing has announced a $100 million investment in infrastructure and programs to train pilots in India, which will support India’s need for 31,000 new pilots over the next 20 years.  Additionally, Boeing has completed a C-17 aftermarket support facility and a new parts logistics center in India that allows the country to become a regional maintenance hub. 
• Resolving Trade Issues Through Trust:  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.

4.  Leading on the Global Stage:

• Indo-Pacific:  The United States will join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, a regional initiative inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in 2015 to promote a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain and promote its conservation and sustainable use. India will continue to participate as an observer in the Partners in the Blue Pacific. 
• Indian Ocean:  The United States and India will hold an Indian Ocean Dialogue that convenes U.S. and Indian officials, with experts and stakeholders from across the Indian Ocean region to promote greater regional coordination.  
• Global Cooperation:  Welcoming its relaunch in December 2022, the United States and India intend to hold another Global Issues Forum meeting this year to collaborate on global challenges such as human trafficking, food insecurity, and humanitarian disaster relief.  
• Enhancing India’s Role in Global Governance:  The United States reiterates its support for India’s permanent membership in a reformed UNSC, has announced support for Indian membership in the International Energy Agency, recommits to advancing Indian membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and President Biden has invited Prime Minister Modi to attend the APEC Summit in San Francisco in November 2023.
• Digital Partnership:  The United States and India will develop a U.S.-India Global Digital Development Partnership that will bring together technology and resources from both countries to address development challenges in emerging economies.
• “Triangular” Cooperation Partnership:  The U.S. Agency for International Development and Ministry of External Affairs of India are working together to train health care experts from Fiji in India in the third quarter of 2023 to share knowledge and best practices on post-disaster psycho-social and telemedicine services.

5.  Partnership for Sustainable Development and Global Health:

• Energy collaboration:  India and the United States will continue to work together to achieve our respective national climate and energy goals under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and the United States’ Hydrogen Earth Shot.  The United States welcomes India’s decision to co-lead the multilateral Hydrogen Breakthrough Agenda to make affordable renewable and low carbon hydrogen globally available by 2030.   
• Investing in America’s Clean Energy Infrastructure:  India’s VSK Energy LLC will invest up to $1.5 billion to develop a new, vertically integrated solar panel manufacturing operation in the United States, including a 2.0 GW module-and-cell manufacturing plant in Colorado.  And, India’s JSW Steel USA announced a $120 million investment at its Mingo Junction, Ohio, steel plant to better support market demand for offshore wind labs.
• Investment Platforms for Green Technology:  India and the United States committed to creating innovative investment platforms that will lower the cost of capital and attract international private finance at scale for renewable energy, battery storage, and emerging green technology projects in India. This first of its kind platform will create a multibillion-dollar fund aimed at providing catalytic capital and de-risking support for such projects. 
• Decarbonizing our Transportation Sector:  USAID signed an MOU with the Ministry of Railways to work together on Indian Railways’ target to become a “net-zero” carbon emitter by 2030.  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.
• Biofuels Initiative:  The Global Biofuels Alliance, established by India with the United States as a founding member, will facilitate cooperation in accelerating the use of biofuels.
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Education Initiative:  USAID has committed up to $5 million toward the Infrastructure Resilience Academic Exchange (IRAX) to offer education, research opportunities, and professional development on disaster resilient architecture and develop a global network of academic institutions.  IRAX will facilitate new partnerships between American and Indian institutions of higher education across the world.
• Accelerating the Fight Against Cancer and Diabetes:  The U.S. National Cancer Institute will foster collaboration between U.S. and Indian scientists through two new grants to develop an artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled digital pathology platform. This platform will be utilized for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic benefit, as well as AI-based automated radiotherapy treatment for cancers of the cervix, head, and neck. The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases will also sign an agreement with the Indian Council of Medical Research to further basic, clinical, and translational research on diabetes. The United States and India will hold 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. 
• Counternarcotics Cooperation:  The United States and India are developing a broader and deeper bilateral counternarcotics framework to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of illicit drugs, including synthetic drugs, fentanyl, and precursors, and will showcase a secure, resilient, reliable and growing pharmaceutical supply chain as a model for the world.

Stay Connected

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.

India's Congress seeks action against Modi for comments about Muslims

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Additional reporting by Shivangi Acharya; Editing by YP Rajesh and Alison Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

Yemen's Houthis said on Saturday their missiles hit the Andromeda Star oil tanker in the Red Sea, as they continue attacking commercial ships in the area in a show of support for Palestinians fighting Israel in the Gaza war.

Musk delays India visit and meeting with Modi as Tesla, SpaceX eye huge market

Elon Musk postponed a visit to India which would have included a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he must tend to pressing issues at Tesla Inc. 

“Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year,” the billionaire said in a post on X . He had been scheduled to visit for two days — April 21 and 22 — to  announce plans  to enter the Indian market.

The decision to postpone comes after a hectic week at Tesla. Early Sunday, Musk announced in a memo to the company’s more than 140,000 employees that he was reducing headcount by more than 10% globally. Two top executives also departed.

On Wednesday, the company said it will ask shareholders to vote again on a $56 billion compensation package for Musk that was voided by a Delaware court in January. And on Friday, Tesla recalled almost 3,900 Cybertruck pickups and cut the price of most of its cars in the US by $2,000 as sales slow and inventories rise. 

The company will also report first-quarter earnings on April 23, having already reported vehicle deliveries that  missed estimates  by a wide margin. The stock has fallen more than 40% this year, dropping the automaker’s market value to less than $470 billion.  

Musk’s planned India visit was critical in terms of timing for both him and Modi. India has kicked off voting for its national elections where Modi is seeking a third term, citing the nation’s economic rise. Investments from billionaires like Musk would burnish his appeal among voters. 

Musk is seeking permission for SpaceX’s Starlink to operate in what will be by far its biggest market. Starlink has already received assurances from India’s government that it will be able to start operating in the country as soon as the third quarter of this year, Bloomberg reported  earlier . 

Tesla has also been trying to break into India for years, but high import taxes were a deterrent — something Musk has pointed out repeatedly. India last month lowered import taxes on EVs from foreign carmakers that pledge to invest at least 41.5 billion rupees ($497 million) and start EV production from a local factory within three years.

A sizable investment by Tesla would enable Musk to tap into India’s burgeoning electric-vehicle market and counter slowing demand for EVs elsewhere. Tesla watchers, however, would want to see action on the ground after witnessing delays in previously announced projects such as constructing a massive plant in Mexico. 

Latest in Tech

• 0 minutes ago

An emergency slide ripped off a Boeing-made jet during a Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles

YouTube was the real hero of Google’s Q1 earnings, and it should set off alarm bells at Netflix

Meta’s investors are worried about the billions it’s spending on AI—but its advertising empire makes it a positive, Deutsche Bank says

Tesla’s Elon Musk speeds past Mark Zuckerberg on the billionaires list after Meta stock plummets on its cash-sucking AI plans

Satya Nadella says Microsoft’s AI payoff hinges on other companies doing ‘the hard work’ of changing their cultures

Microsoft’s Xbox sinks as AI soars

Most popular.

‘Americans just work harder’ than Europeans, says CEO of Norway’s $1.6 trillion oil fund, because they have a higher ‘general level of ambition’

Amazon should be forced to disclose how Jeff Bezos and others were instructed to use the Signal disappearing-message app, FTC says

On a crucial earnings call, Musk reminds the world Tesla is a tech company. ‘Even if I’m kidnapped by aliens tomorrow, Tesla will solve autonomy’

Jamie Dimon says America needs to ‘take a deep breath’ before facing off with China, because the U.S. is actually in a ‘very good position’ to negotiate

Ryanair CEO dishes advice to Boeing on managing its crises: ‘Never put a pilot in charge of an airline’

A 60-year-old worker in Texas says she’s dependent on apps that let her get paid early: ‘They get you hooked on having that money’

Advertisement

Supported by

Modi’s Power Keeps Growing, and India Looks Sure to Give Him More

Few doubt the popular prime minister will win a third term in voting that starts Friday. His strong hand is just what many Indians seem to want.

• Share full article

By Mujib Mashal

Mujib Mashal followed Narendra Modi on the campaign trail in the important Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra while reporting this article.

As he campaigns across India for an election that began on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks of his insatiable ambitions in terms of dinner-table appetite.

Roofs over heads, water connections, cooking gas cylinders — Mr. Modi reads down the menu of what he calls the abundant “development” he has provided to India’s poor. But he’s not stopping there. “What Modi has done so far is just the appetizer,” he said at one stop, referring to himself in the third person, as he often does. “The main course is yet to come.”

To Mr. Modi’s legions of supporters, a third term would bring more of what they find so appealing in him. He is that rare breed of strongman who keeps an ear to the ground. He is a magnetic figure and a powerful orator. He has built an image as a tireless, incorruptible worker for a country on the rise.

But to his critics, Mr. Modi’s talk of a “main course” is an alarm bell for the future of the world’s largest democracy.

Mr. Modi, 73, enters the election a heavy favorite, his party’s grip over India’s more populous northern and central heartlands firmer than ever, the opposition in the same decisive geography even more diminished. Yet even with his place as India’s unrivaled leader seemingly secured, he has carried out a crackdown on dissent that has only intensified.

In the lead-up to the voting, which will run for six weeks before results are announced on June 4, agencies under Mr. Modi’s control have frozen the bank accounts of the largest opposition party. The leaders of two opposition-run states have been thrown in jail, in cases they call politically motivated. (The capital region, New Delhi, is currently governed by a chief minister who sends his directives from behind bars.)

All of this, Mr. Modi’s critics say, shows the penchant for full control that has become evident over his decade as prime minister. Mr. Modi, they contend, will not stop until he has turned India’s democracy into one-party rule. Power is being aggressively consolidated “around the cult of the leader’s personality,” said Yamini Aiyar, a policy analyst in New Delhi.

“The deep centralization of power has significantly undermined institutional checks and balances baked into India’s democratic structure,” Ms. Aiyar said.

Many Indians seem willing to accept this. Mr. Modi has remained deeply popular even as he has become more autocratic. He has paid little price — and even found support — for his effort to remake India into what analysts have called an illiberal democracy.

He exploits contradictions. The right to vote is held as sacred in a country whose democracy has offered protection in a turbulent region. But polling also indicates that large numbers of Indians are willing to cede civil liberties to support a powerful ruler they see as getting things done.

Another seeming incongruity: People who speak of their own economic strife also often express faith in Mr. Modi’s running of the country’s affairs, a testament to the forceful narratives he weaves.

Indians have more tangible reasons to back him, too. Mr. Modi relentlessly tends his broad support base through generous offerings across society: favorable deals for the business elite in a growing economy, robust welfare programs for India’s impoverished majority, and a strong dose of Hindu nationalism for those in between.

A campaign stop this month in his party’s stronghold of Uttar Pradesh illustrated this winning formula.

Mr. Modi stood in the back of a saffron-colored truck as it moved slowly down a shopping street lined with global brands and jewelry shops, a scene that spoke to the new wealth that has lifted millions of Indians into the middle class.

Overhead, billboards with pictures of Mr. Modi — his face is everywhere in India — told of achievements like the installation of more than 100 million toilets for the poor and India’s rising stature.

At the end of the “roadshow,” at the junction where Mr. Modi’s vehicle turned right and headed back to Delhi, was a stage set up with loudspeakers. As Hindu nationalist songs blared, actors dressed up as the deities Ram and Sita posed for selfies with the crowd.

Mr. Modi’s inauguration in January of a huge temple dedicated to Ram, on the disputed site of a mosque razed three decades ago by a Hindu mob, has been a major election-year offering to his Hindu base.

“We are Hindu, we are Hindu, we will only speak of Ram,” went one song’s chant. “Those who brought Ram, we will bring them to power.”

Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P., started in 1980 as an urban middle-class organization centered around a Hindu majoritarian core. Under Mr. Modi, it has recast itself as the party of the poor and of the village in northern India, analysts say.

Some in India believe that poorer people have merely fallen under Mr. Modi’s spell. Nalin Mehta, the author of the book “The New B.J.P.,” called that fundamentally wrong.

“The fact that the B.J.P. continues to win these victories reflects how successful it has been in getting newer constituents of voters who never voted B.J.P. before, and who may not even be followers of Hindu nationalism,” he said.

Mr. Mehta attributes much of that success to the party’s expansion and branding of welfare programs and its efforts to promote itself as pan-Hindu, actively reaching out to India’s marginalized castes.

By prioritizing direct digital welfare payments, the B.J.P. has cut out the middleman and made sure the handouts are seen as coming straight from Mr. Modi.

Technology also allows the party to follow up, with B.J.P. workers — armed with data — knocking on the door of anyone who received a water tap, a gas cylinder or a government grant to build a home.

Data creates layers of feedback that help the party pick its candidates, jettisoning large numbers of incumbents before each election. “This B.J.P. is very ruthless on winnability,” Mr. Mehta said.

Bringing it all together are Mr. Modi’s outsize appeal and his political and technological acumen.

He has put his personal story at the center of his narrative of an ascendant India, the main pillar of his campaign. If a lower-caste son of a chai seller can become one of the most powerful men in the world, he says, other ordinary Indians can dream, too.

While inequality has grown and 800 million Indians are at the mercy of monthly rations, many focus instead on their faith that Mr. Modi is not a thief. He casts himself as a bachelor with no descendants who works only for the Indian people, unlike what he calls the corrupt political dynasts in the opposition.

“Modi wasn’t born in some royal family to become prime minister,” he told a crowd of tens of thousands in the state of Maharashtra. “It’s you who have brought him this far.”

The political opposition has been severely weakened by infighting, leadership crises and its struggle to offer an ideological alternative to the B.J.P.

But it also faces a playing field that Mr. Modi has tilted in his own favor.

He has cowed the broadcast media. Independent journalists who do question his policies have been jailed or subjected to legal harassment. India leads the world in internet shutdowns, obscuring unrest that looks bad for the government. And officials under Mr. Modi have forced social media platforms to scrape critical content.

Investigating agencies have been set loose on Mr. Modi’s political opponents — more than 90 percent of cases involving politicians over the past decade have involved the opposition. Many languish in jail or the court system. Those who switch allegiance to the B.J.P. find that their cases vanish.

On the campaign trail in the state of West Bengal, an opposition candidate, Mahua Moitra, spoke of saving democracy from the authoritarianism she said had led to her own expulsion from Parliament — in a messy case involving a former romantic partner, a Rottweiler named Henry and accusations of graft.

Autocracy and Mr. Modi’s perceived coziness with billionaires have been the opposition’s two main attack lines. While campaigning, Ms. Moitra told a group of women that they were still waiting for government money to build homes because Mr. Modi “is busy building palaces for his friends.”

Analysts doubt that either issue will resonate widely. Many Indians, particularly in his stronghold in the north, which has a decisive say in who rules from New Delhi, like exactly what they are getting from Mr. Modi.

“He is the prime minister, and if he is not strong enough, then what good would it be?” Anjali Vishwakarma, 37, an interior designer, said as she walked along the Ganges one recent day with her family in Mr. Modi’s constituency of Varanasi.

Suhasini Raj contributed reporting from Varanasi, Sameer Yasir from Krishnanagar and Hari Kumar from Ghaziabad in India.

Mujib Mashal is the South Asia bureau chief for The Times, helping to lead coverage of India and the diverse region around it, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. More about Mujib Mashal

• world affairs

How India’s Economy Has Really Fared Under Modi

T he International Monetary Fund issued a most unusual rebuttal this month. Its spokeswoman Julie Kozack told reporters in Washington that executive director Krishnamurthy Subramanian’s growth forecast of 8% for India did not represent the views of the IMF, which still maintained a projection of 6.5% for the country.

Subramanian’s views—expressed at an event in New Delhi a few days earlier—were in his role as India’s representative at the IMF, she said. The “executive director” is actually one of the 24 such directors elected by member countries to the IMF’s “executive board,” which, confusingly enough, is “distinct from the work of the IMF staff.” Just how distinct became clear when Subramanian trashed IMF staff on X in response, saying the institution’s GDP forecasts for India are “consistently INACCURATE.”

As a former chief economic adviser to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and delegated to the IMF by the Modi government, Subramanian has good reason to take umbrage at the slightest suggestion that India’s economy may not be as robust as thought. The narrative of India as the new economic miracle is foundational to both the personality cult of Modi and the legitimacy of his government at home and abroad.

Modi rode to power in 2014 on the promise of mending a faltering economy. As chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, he had built up a formidable reputation as an efficient business-friendly administrator, which he successfully leveraged in his bid for the nation’s top job. “ Achhe din, ” or “good times,” was his promise.

Looking at the economic news coming out of India these days, it would seem he has delivered. As the fastest growing major economy, India is considered “the shining star of the global economy,” as the S&P Global Ratings chief economist calls it. It has already surpassed the U.K. to become the world’s fifth largest economy and is expected to overtake Japan and Germany to become the third-largest in five years. The Indian stock market, now the world’s fourth largest, is at an all-time high.

As India goes to polls, data points like these help megaphone Modi’s narrative of the country’s makeover into an economic powerhouse on his watch. At home, they amplify his image as a steady hand on the tiller taking India to ever greater heights. Abroad, they help mute criticism of his Hindu supremacist dispensation’s systematic attacks on India’s secular democracy and its Muslim and Christian minorities.

Read More: India’s Ayodhya Temple Is a Huge Monument to Hindu Supremacy

To be sure, the Indian economy’s size today and the scope of development makes it one of the most interesting growth stories. And, Big Business has much to be thankful for Modi’s reign. There’s less red tape and more administrative focus and push for industry. The government’s policy of incentivizing businesses with subsidies and tax breaks, and helping major homegrown firms to become “ national champions ” works well for them.

Yet the perception of India’s supposed economic miracle is also a product of a tightly controlled information ecosystem in which data is managed in keeping with the government’s narrative, ably assisted by a regime-friendly media. The simplest statistical fact is that Modi’s second term has actually seen the lowest period of GDP growth since India liberalized its markets in the early 1990s. Per capita income over the past 10 years grew half as fast as the decade under Modi’s predecessor Manmohan Singh of the opposition Congress Party, while stock market returns are lower than in the previous decade.

Much of the positive changes attributed to Modi, such as digitization of the economy and improved tax collection are a continuation of past trends, policies, and technological advancement. And much of the hype over the overall state of the economy does not wash when you drill down the numbers.

More From TIME

Even Modi’s former economic aides find the recent growth rates of 8% announced by the government “ mystifying .” Major discrepancies in the way GDP is being calculated make the data hugely problematic . One of Modi’s former chief economists holds that if correctly measured, India’s economy would actually be found to be decelerating .

Meanwhile, foreign direct investment is plunging . FDI levels are now the lowest in nearly two decades . Even local investors are shying away from opening their wallets. Private capital expenditure remains low. Private sector investment has in fact been falling as a proportion of GDP since 2012 and the economy is now largely driven by huge government investment .

The consumer goods market continues to be sluggish , with people cutting down on staples —emblematic of economic stress. Private consumption growth is the slowest in 20 years, setting aside the pandemic low. Tractor sales , a proxy for the economic health of villages (where 70% of Indians live), have fallen steeply. Banks are battling the worst deposit crunch in two decades as household savings are at a 47-year low while household debt levels are at a record high . Not exactly the signs of a booming economy. In the last financial year, India’s goods exports fell 3% and its crude imports , 14%.

Unemployment is also endemic. The share of young people with secondary or higher education among unemployed youth has almost doubled in 20 years; a third of graduates are unemployed. Jobless Indian youth now pursue opportunities in conflict zones in Israel and Ukraine , and try to smuggle themselves into the West. Indians are currently the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., their numbers having surged faster than those from any other country.

Despite all of Modi’s drumbeating on boosting India’s manufacturing sector with his much-trumpeted “ Make in India ” campaign, manufacturing’s share of the GDP has fallen. Far from increasing manufacturing jobs, India is losing them in millions. The ranks of farmworkers, meanwhile, have risen by 60 million in the past four years. Agriculture now actually employs a greater share of workers than it did five years ago, a reversal that points to deindustrialization.

There are also concerns about data manipulation. Before the last parliamentary election in 2019, the government buried its own employment data before the election as it showed the unemployment rate to be at a 45-year-high, leading to resignations of members of the National Statistical Commission. A key five-yearly consumer survey result was withheld that year because of “ data quality issues .” When it was finally released this February, it showed poverty and inequality has fallen, and consumer spending had tripled in a decade . That contradicts the government’s own findings and data found elsewhere.

By some estimates, around 1 million people referred to as the “ octopus class ” now control 80% of the country’s wealth and are creating an illusion of national prosperity. The latest “ World Inequality Report ” calls India a “Billionaire Raj” where income inequality is now worse than under British rule. As the number of India’s ultra-rich has grown 11 times in the last decade, the country has fallen in the Global Hunger Index, and now sits below North Korea and war-torn Sudan. Acknowledging the issue, Modi’s government is giving free grains to 60% of the population.

None of these facts speak to the El Dorado that Modi is claiming to be creating. India needs much more than headline management and upward mobility for a tiny segment to fundamentally transform its economy. Apart from heavy investment in physical infrastructure —which Modi can be duly credited for—his government isn’t doing much else for that transformation.

All Asian economies that have sparkled in the past half-century have seen heavy synchronization between their trade, industrial, and social policies. Land reforms, enormous state intervention in education and health, and other redistributive policies created the bedrock of domestic demand and higher productivity that spurred Asia’s “miracle” countries. These are the reasons why Vietnam, seen as the new Asian miracle , exports more than India with less than a tenth of India’s population. Modi has done little to suggest he has the inclination or the ability for such deep reforms to make India shine. A false gold rush is all he can offer.

More Must-Reads From TIME

• The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
• Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
• Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
• 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
• If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
• The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
• Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Contact us at [email protected]

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.