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

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

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By Victoria Kim

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Defense cooperation is high on the agenda.

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

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

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

Modi is accused of undermining democracy.

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

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

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

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

Mujib Mashal contributed reporting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

PM Modi delivers goodbye speech to Indian-American diaspora

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

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

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

A joint statement is issued by India and the United States

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Modi-Biden hold joint press conference at the White House

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

Bilateral meeting takes place at the White House

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

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

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

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

A warm welcome for PM Modi at the White House

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

PM Modi leads International Yoga Day celebrations at UN headquarters

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

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

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

PM Modi leaves for US

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Below, what to know about the upcoming visit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Write to Astha Rajvanshi at [email protected]

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

Prime minister narendra modi is visiting the united states from june 21-24 at the invitation of us president joe biden and first lady jill biden. ahead of modi's expected departure today, foreign secretary vinay kwatra shared details on the prime minister's itinerary during a special briefing. his agenda includes a series of high-level meetings on defence cooperation and critical and emerging technologies. catch live updates on prime minister modi's visit to the us with cnbc-tv18 here:.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Joint Statement from the United   States and   India

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

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

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

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

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India’s Modi on way to US for first state visit since becoming PM

Visit comes as rights groups and political opponents accuse Modi of stifling dissent and pursuing anti-Muslim policies back home.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to the United States to meet with President Joe Biden and address the Congress, with military and technological ties on the agenda as his hosts seek a regional counter to China.

“We seek to deepen India-USA ties in key sectors like trade, commerce, innovation, technology and other such areas,” Modi posted on Twitter before he left on Tuesday for his first state visit to the US since assuming power in 2014.

The leader of the world’s most populous nation will attend a state dinner at the White House on Thursday – only Biden’s third since his inauguration.

Hailed by New Delhi as an “historic” chance to “expand and consolidate” ties, the visit comes at a time of rising concerns over the treatment of its Muslim minority, human rights, and democratic backsliding under the Hindu nationalist leader.

But Biden has made clear he sees US ties to India as a defining relationship that will jointly address some of the most difficult global challenges in coming years, including climate change, disruptions related to artificial intelligence, and China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific.

Visit amid rights concerns

Modi’s three-day visit to the US comes amid human rights groups and political opponents accusing the Indian leader of stifling dissent and pursuing divisive policies that discriminate against Muslims and other minorities.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, urged Biden in a letter not to shy away from confronting Modi on India’s “worsening human rights situation”.

Her organisation plans a Tuesday screening in Washington of a BBC documentary critical of Modi that was banned by the Indian government.

The documentary delves into Modi’s oversight as chief minister of Gujarat during the deadly 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 dead. Rights groups say the official death toll is an undercount.

In 2005, Washington revoked Modi’s visa to the US, citing concerns that he did not act to stop the Gujarat violence. An investigation approved by India’s Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered.

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

“Modi’s government has also demonstrated blatant bias in protecting BJP supporters and affiliates accused in a range of crimes, including murder, assault, corruption, and sexual violence,” Pearson wrote, using the initials for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

“At the international level, Modi’s government has often proven unwilling to stand with other governments on key human rights crises, abstaining or refraining from condemning grave human rights violations elsewhere.”

New Delhi-based rights activist Kavita Krishnan told Al Jazeera Biden is “acting as a propagandist for Modi by publicly saying that Modi is so popular and I should take his autograph”.

In May, during a meeting of the Quad, an international partnership of the US, Australia, India and Japan, in Hiroshima, Biden had jokingly said he should take Modi’s autograph given how tickets for the dinner he is hosting at the White House have sold out. “You are too popular,” he said.

“When you do that, it means you are actively participating in Modi’s politics where he tries to project himself as a world leader who is exceptionally popular,” Krishnan told Al Jazeera.

By doing so, she said, the US is “telling the world as well as the vulnerable people in India that human rights don’t really matter if a leader is popular”.

“Then why talk of human rights? The same then applies to Hitler, Putin, and Trump,” she said. “Why is India getting a different treatment [from US]? Is it because India is a big market and they are willing to throw Indians under the bus since they want to woo Modi? What is it? This is the question I want to ask.”

The Indian government has continually defended its human rights record and insisted that the country’s democratic principles remain robust.

India’s Russia ties

The US has also avoided publicly chastising India for its muted criticism of old ally Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and New Delhi’s growing reliance on Russian oil, which stands at 19 percent of India’s annual crude imports from two percent in 2021.

When asked by the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Monday about critical comments in the US for not taking a more forceful stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Modi said: “I don’t think this type of perception is widespread in the US. I think India’s position is well known and well understood in the entire world. The world has full confidence that India’s top-most priority is peace.”

Modi in the interview called for changes to global institutions like the United Nations to adapt them for an increasingly “multipolar world order”, and make them more representative of the world’s less-affluent countries.

India would like to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council, he said. “The world should be asked if it wants India to be there.”

Trade between the US and India in 2022 climbed to a record $191bn. The nearly five million Indian diaspora in the US – its wealthiest ethnic group – has become an economic, cultural and political powerhouse.

Biden has sought to reinvigorate the Quad while the US defence sales to India have risen from near zero in 2008 to more than $20bn in 2020.

Modi’s US visit begins on Wednesday when he will lead foreign dignitaries and bureaucrats in a session for International Yoga Day at the UN Secretariat in New York. Yoga, an ancient discipline first practised by Hindu sages, is now one of India’s most successful cultural exports after Bollywood.

Nine years ago, Modi successfully lobbied the UN to designate June 21 as International Yoga Day. Since then, he has harnessed yoga as a cultural soft power to stretch his nation’s diplomatic reach and project himself as an “ascetic” leader.

The official state visit portion of Modi’s trip starts on Thursday and includes an Oval Office meeting with Biden, an address to a joint meeting of Congress , and a lavish White House dinner hosted by Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

On Friday, Modi will be honoured at a State Department luncheon hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and he is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora before leaving Washington.

India’s ANI news agency on Tuesday said Modi will also meet Tesla’s Elon Musk, who also owns Twitter, among other business leaders during the trip.

The Indian leader will depart for Egypt from the US for a two-day visit starting Saturday.

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PM Narendra Modi's US visit may focus on smaller events in New York

In his earlier visits, he also travelled to washington dc, chicago, houston, san francisco, and san jose.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File Photo: PTI)

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PM Modi's US Visit: Full Schedule, Events And Agenda

Pm modi's us visit: pm modi will land in new york on tuesday, june 20, to be received by a group of indian americans at the andrews air force base..

PM Modi's US Visit: PM Modi has visited the US six times since assuming office in 2014

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the United States is being seen as a crucial juncture in the relationship between both countries. PM Modi embarked on his first state visit to the US, on Tuesday, where he will be attending a series of important meetings, discussing matters of interest for both countries.

While PM Modi has visited the US six times since assuming office in 2014, this will be his first state visit, an honour associated with closest associates and friends of America. He will land in New York on Tuesday, June 20, to be received by a group of Indian Americans at the Andrews Air Force Base.

On June 21, PM Modi will participate in the International Yoga Day event at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Later in the day, he will be at the dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

On Day 2 of the visit, June 22, PM Modi will be given a ceremonial welcome at the White House. It will be followed by a high-level meeting between PM Modi and President Joe Biden. The meeting will discuss greater economic cooperation between both countries to eliminate hurdles of building a robust supply chain.

After the bilateral talks, PM Modi will address a joint sitting of the US Congress on June 22 at the invitation of Congressional leaders – speaker Kevin McCarthy of the House of Representatives and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer. PM Modi first addressed the US Congress during his visit to the country in 2016. He will be the first Indian PM and only the third in the world to make such an address twice.

The day will conclude with another State Dinner in honour of PM Modi. The dinner will be attended by esteemed guests including members of the US Congress, diplomats, and other celebrities.

On the third day of his visit, June 23, PM Narendra Modi will be hosted at a lunch by US vice president Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinke. He will also interact with CEOs, and professionals to discuss business partnerships and opportunities.

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The day will conclude with an address to the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Center in the evening.

Following his 3-day visit to the US,  PM Narendra Modi will leave for Egypt where he is set to meet President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for a bilateral talk discussing trade partnership and other key issues.

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• 'PM Modi’s 56-inch chest and BJP's fear tactics are history': Rahul Gandhi in Virginia

'PM Modi’s 56-inch chest and BJP's fear tactics are history': Rahul Gandhi in Virginia

U.S.: Rahul Gandhi Cracks Up Americans With This Jibe At PM Modi; Virginia Speech Goes Viral

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The TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most." Read More

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Not a big diversion from how we think: Rahul Gandhi on PM's approach to US ties

Rahul gandhi, during his visit to the us, stated that his party's approach to ties with the us aligns with prime minister modi's, acknowledging continuity in india's relationship with the us..

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• Rahul Gandhi speaks about Congress's approach to US ties
• Says Congress, PM do not diverge significantly in approach
• Congress leader criticises Centre in US, faces BJP's backlash

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, who is on a visit to the United States, said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approach to US relations aligns with that of the Congress.

Gandhi said he does not see a "big divergence" between the stance of Congress and the BJP-led government, during an interaction at the National Press Club in Washington DC.

"I don't see a big diversion. I don't see Mr Modi diverting very much from our approach to the US. And I don't see ourselves changing direction from what he is doing," the Congress leader said.

I don’t see Mr. Modi diverging very much from our approach with the US, and I don’t see us changing direction very much from what he’s doing. So, I see continuity there. I think everyone on both sides accepts the fact that the India-US relationship is key for both countries.â€æ pic.twitter.com/GPBviURsnQ — Congress (@INCIndia) September 10, 2024

Gandhi, who arrived in the US on September 8, has criticised PM Modi and the BJP at various events in the US, which invited criticism from the ruling party.

The Congress leader, while interacting with the Indian community in Texas on September 9, said that "the fear of the BJP vanished" in India after the recent Lok Sabha elections. His comments, stating that the "RSS believes that India is one idea," which is not Congress's concept, have also invited criticism from the BJP.

While stressing the need to focus on manufacturing at the University of Texas, Gandhi stated that the US and other countries in the West are facing the problem of unemployment, whereas China is not, as it is dominating global production. These comments also came under fire from the BJP, who alleged that "his love for China has become visible".

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‘Darr nahi lagta ab…': Rahul Gandhi's fresh attack on PM Narendra Modi, BJP in US' Virginia

Rahul gandhi in us: rahul gandhi claimed that the “fear of prime minister narendra modi” among people has vanished after results of lok sabha elections 2024..

Rahul Gandhi in US: Rahul Gandhi of the Congress continued his attack on ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming that the “fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” among people has vanished after the the results of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Addressing an Indian diaspora event in Virginia's Herndon in US on Monday (local time), Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP and PM Narendra Modi spread “so much fear and the pressure” of agencies on small businesses, but everything vanished within seconds.

“Something has changed after the elections. Some people said ‘Darr nahi lagta ab, dar nikal gaya ab' (We are not afraid anymore, the fear is gone now). It is interesting to me that the BJP and PM Modi spread so much fear, and the pressure of agencies on small businesses, everything vanished within seconds. It took years for them to spread this fear and vanished within seconds," news agency ANI quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying at the event.

“In Parliament, I see the Prime Minister right up front and I can tell you that the idea of Mr Modi, 56-inch chest, direct connection with God, that’s all gone now, it’s is all history now,” Rahul Gandhi added .

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also met with students at Georgetown University, followed by the diaspora event in Virginia. Rahul Gandhi will be in Washington for two days before heading back to Delhi.,

"The BJP doesn't understand that this country is of everyone... India is a union. In the Constitution, it is written clearly... India that is Bharat is a union state, histories, tradition music and dance. They (BJP) say it is not a union, it is different," the Congress leader alleged.

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Rahul gandhi black spot in indian democracy: bjp.

While the BJP has not officially reacted to Rahul Gandhi's latest assault on Modi, the party had launched a scathing attack on the Congress leader on Monday over his remarks in the United States's Texas, calling him a “black spot” in Indian democracy.

Gaurav Bhatia, a national spokesperson of the BJP also accused Gandhi of trying to weaken Indian democracy with his remarks abroad, which he claimed was in accordance with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Congress and the Chinese Communist Party during the UPA rule.

"Everyone knows that Rahul Gandhi is an immature and part-time leader. But people have put a huge responsibility on his shoulders since he became the leader of opposition (in the Lok Sabha).

"But I feel sad to say that Rahul Gandhi is a black spot in Indian democracy. He does not even know what to talk about when he visits a foreign country," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

He was replying to reporters' queries on Gandhi's remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at an event in the US.

During an interaction at an event, Gandhi alleged, “The BJP and the RSS believe that women should be restricted to a particular role. They should stay at home, they should cook the food, they should not talk too much and we believe that women should aspire to whatever they want to do.”

"The RSS believes that India is one idea. We believe that India is a multiplicity of ideas," he claimed during his address to the Indian American community.

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Indian Prime Minister (PM) visited Russia in July 2024, which sparked criticism in Western policy-making circles. Putin warmly welcomed him in Moscow by calling him ‘dear friend’ as it was Modi’s first visit since the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This move by the Indian PM was condemned by the Ukrainian president in strong terms, calling it a “huge disappointment and devastating blow to peace efforts.” Events took a turn when the Indian foreign ministry announced on Monday that PM Modi would visit Kyiv on 23rd August, where the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be the prime focus. This diplomatic move shows the pragmatism of Indian foreign policy-making circles but could also have associated geo-political risks. This move is an extension of previous policies that India has pursued since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

India’s policy towards Russia Ukraine conflict

India’s response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict attracted significant global attention due to its closer alignment with the West, especially the United States(US). India’s declared policy of ‘ neutrality’ made many in the Western policy-making circles uncomfortable. India has pursued its national interests while avoiding strong alignment with any block. This policy is not new, as India was a prominent member of the famous Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) during the Cold War when it refused to align itself with any of the blocks. There are various reasons why India is refraining from openly opposing Russia in the current Russia-Ukraine war. Firstly, India is skeptical about the growing cooperation between Pakistan and China , as India perceives them as an immediate threat to its security. Through enhanced cooperation with Russia, India is trying to keep Russia on its side, which would otherwise fall into the sphere of Chinese influence. India is also trying to limit Russia from establishing a new strategic partnership with Pakistan. Secondly, Russia has always been a strong partner of India as it stood firm with India throughout its history. Russia supported India’s claim over Indian Occupied Kashmir(IOK), for which Russia exercised its veto power in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) six times. In return, India also refrained from voting on various occasions in UN General Assembly resolutions, e.g., India abstained from voting against Russia in 2014 against the Russian annexation of Crimea. Russia has often been India’s ‘durable partner,’ whereas the US-India partnership still has many constraints .

Modi’s Visit to Russia

Modi’s visit to Russia to attend the 22 nd India-Russia summit was his first to any country since he assumed the office of PM for his third term. This visit signaled Indian priorities regarding its foreign policy choices. Both countries signed nine agreements , from defense and technology to energy, trade, and climate change. This visit demonstrated that India’s closer alignment with the West doesn’t necessitate its alienation from Moscow . India has been a key buyer of Russian oil besides China since the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Russia is India’s strong defense partner, as 60 percent of Indian military hardware purchases have Russian origin, with a bilateral trade volume of around $65 Billion as per the statistics of 2023-24. Modi’s visit was criticized by the Ukrainian president, calling it a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s bloodiest criminal in Moscow on such a day.”  

Modi’s Visit to Ukraine

Six weeks after he visited Russia, Modi visited Ukraine, making him the first PM to visit Ukraine after establishing diplomatic relations 30 years ago. This visit came at a crucial time as a demonstration of Indian foreign policy, which has always been the pursuit of national interests without a strong alignment with any major power. Both the leaders discussed the affairs of mutual interests. While talking about conflict with Russia, Modi reiterated the Indian stance that ‘ peace’ is the only solution. During their meeting, he said, ‘We were not neutral from day one; we have taken a side, and we stand firmly for peace.’ This stance is the tension of India’s previous policies, and it doesn’t seem to deviate from them. Western nations , including the US, have now made peace with New Delhi’s stance as they are aware of the fact that India is heavily reliant on Russian military equipment.   

Indian pragmatism: a double-edged sword    

Despite international pressure, India is walking a tightrope while balancing its relations with Russia and its Western partners. While the West has viewed India’s reluctance to openly condemn Russia with skepticism, India is still the US’s ‘net security provider’ in the region. India is walking a tight diplomatic rope while balancing between Russia and the West and will continue to do so in the near future. India’s stance on Russia is based on material interests and is dictated by the country’s right to an independent foreign policy and the ability to choose its allies. India’s pragmatist foreign policy and strategic autonomy are evident in its diplomatic balancing act between Russia and the West, especially in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, recent events in the conflict, particularly indications of escalation, are putting this precarious equilibrium under more and more strain. India faces a difficult task as it negotiates these intricate dynamics because of its longstanding ties to Russia and its expanding partnership with Western countries. India’s fears are heightened by the possibility that the war may move into a deadlier phase. The government is trying to preserve its strategic interests while avoiding alienating any party, which makes it challenging to maintain this delicate balance in the face of mounting geopolitical pressures.

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