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PM Modi visit Highlights: PM concludes US State visit, departs for Egypt

PM Modi in US Highlights: PM Narendra Modi was hosted at a lunch by US vice president Kamala Harris and secretary of state Antony Blinken. PM Modi interacted with CEOs and professionals. He concluded his inaugural US state visit with an address to the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington DC. ...Read More

Yesterday, PM Modi attended State dinner hosted by US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the White House after which he addressed a joint sitting of the US Congress.

New and glorious 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 glorious 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 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here, Modi said the full potential of partnership between the two countries is yet to be realised and that their ties is all about making the world better again in the 21st century.

 Upon arrival in Egypt, Modi will have various engagements with the leaders and Indian diaspora

Upon arrival in Egypt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have various engagements with the leaders and Indian diaspora there.

Prime Minister will spend nearly half an hour at the Al-Hakim Mosque-- a historic and prominent mosque in Cairo named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985-1021), the 16th Fatimid caliph. The mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is an important cultural site for the Dawoodi Bohra community in Cairo.PM Modi during his first Egypt tour will also visit Heliopolis War Grave cemetery to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice fighting for Egypt during the First World War.

India, US govts prepared ground, business community needs to take advantage of it: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the governments of India and the US have done the groundwork for the business community of the two countries and it is now the responsibility of the corporate sector to take advantage of this and proposer.

Addressing business leaders and philanthropists from India and the US as well as other prominent members of the Indian-American community at the Kennedy Centre here on Friday, he stressed that the India-US partnership is not of convenience but one of conviction, shared commitments and compassion.

India's history, teachings shaped world, says Kamala Harris

US Vice President Kamala Harris said India’s history and teachings have influenced and shaped the world, asserting the country has inspired millions of people through its philosophy.

She also said India is a “very important” part of her life and that she is deeply connected to the country.

How US newspapers are reporting PM Modi's State visit

 Leading American newspapers highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first state visit to the US, with prominent coverage including reports on technology and defence agreements signed between the two countries. Read more

Watch: PM Modi leaves for Cairo from US

Modi was in the us at the invitation of president biden and first lady jill biden.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left for Egypt after concluding his US State Visit during which he held talks with President Joe Biden and addressed the Joint Session of Congress.

Modi was in the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

His visit to the US started in New York, where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga on June 21.

Later, in Washington DC, he was given a red-carpet welcome at the White House by President Biden.

PM Modi's first visit to Egypt

This is the prime minister's first visit to Egypt.

The two-day State Visit to Egypt at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is also the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister since 1997.

"H1B visa renewal can be done in US itself:" PM Modi in address to Indian diaspora

In a big relief to Indian professionals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Indian professionals can renew their work visas without travelling abroad.

"America's new consulates will be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. It has now been decided that the H1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself," PM Modi said while addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC.

PM Modi departs for Egypt after concluding his maiden state visit to US

‘shaping lives, dreams and destinies’: pm modi's address to indian diaspora | top quotes.

A new and glorious journey of India-US relations has begun in the last three days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. Addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington, DC, PM Modi said the new journey “is of our convergence on global strategic issues, of our cooperation for ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.” Read more

America can learn a lot from India: Johnnie Moore

 modi concludes his maidan us state visit, watch: members of the sikh community at the diaspora event, ‘india-us ties not partnership of convenience but…’: pm modi addresses usispf.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his last day of the maiden State visit addressed the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in Washington DC. Modi began his speech by stating that the India-US ties have the potential to change the destiny of the 21st century. Read more

US VP Kamala Harris thanks PM Modi on India's decision to join Artemis Accords

US Vice President Kamala Harris has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India decided to join the Artemis Accords.

"And there is a point of personal privilege. As chair of the National Space Council, I thank you for your leadership in space and for our joint work on our earth-science satellite which will help us address the climate crisis," US Vice President Kamala Harris said, as she expressed gratitude to PM Modi at the State Luncheon on Friday.

PM Modi has given new heights to the relationship between India and the United States: Convenor, Indian Minority Foundation

Pm modi is such a wonderful and kind man: international singer mary millben, watch | pm modi concludes us state visit with address to indian diaspora.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a large gathering of the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Centre in Washington on Friday, marking the conclusion of his US State visit. Read more

I have never seen this kind of enthusiasm for any visiting PM: US Congressman Shri Thanedar

After PM Modi's address to the Indian diaspora, US Congressman Shri Thanedar, says, "Very exciting. I have never seen this kind of enthusiasm for any visiting PM. I am very proud of PM Modi. He is enormously popular. I am looking forward to working with him to broaden & deepen our relationship."

PM Modi concludes his address

PM Modi concludes his address to the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building

Partnership between India and the United States will make the world better in the 21st Century: PM Modi

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. I will be leaving for the airport straight from here, meeting you all is like having a sweet dish after food: PM Modi addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building

India-US partnership is about making the world in 21st century better again: PM Modi

India-US partnership is about making the world in 21st century better again: PM Modi tells the Indian diaspora

Happy that the American government has decided to return more than 100 antiquities of India: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi tells the Indian diaspora, "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."

This is the best time to invest as much as possible in India: PM Modi

This is the best time to invest as much as possible in India. The research centre of Google's AI in India will work on more than 100 languages. With the help of the Indian Govt, Tamil Studies chair will be established here at University of Houston: PM Modi addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC

India is the mother of democracy and America is the champion of advanced democracy

This transformed india will amaze you: pm modi.

"The manner in which India has seen a digital revolution in the past few years is unprecedented. Maybe you will see a barcode board there at a shop in your village. Maybe you try to pay in cash and the shopkeeper asks if you have a digital payment app on your phone. This transformed India will amaze you. Today anyone, anywhere in India can do 24/7 banking. Be it Sunday or Monday, there is no impact on it," PM Modi says.

New India knows its direction: PM Modi

New India knows its direction and has no confusion about its decisions, resolve; its potential turning into performance: PM Modi

Reason behind this tremendous progress in India is the belief of 140 crore people: PM Modi

You get delighted with every achievement of india: pm modi.

You get delighted with every achievement of India. You feel proud that such a large number of countries of the world come together at the UN HQ for Yoga Day. You feel proud when you see Made in India at the supermarkets here. You feel proud when you see Indian talents leading the companies. You feel proud when the whole world dances to the tunes of 'Naatu Naatu...": PM Modi

H1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself: PM Modi

Be it convergence on global issues or tech transfer, both countries taking strong steps: pm modi.

"In these 3 days, a new and glorious journey of India and the US relations has begun. This new journey is of our convergence on global strategic issues, of our cooperation for Make in India Make for the World. Be it technology transfer and manufacturing cooperation or increasing coordination in industrial supply chain, both nations are taking strong steps towards a better future. The decision of General Electric Company to manufacture fighter planes in India will prove to be a milestone for India's defence sector,"

Together we are shaping lives: PM Modi

Together we are not just forming policies, agreements; we are shaping lives, dreams, destiny: PM Modi

‘Mini India…’: PM Modi in goodbye speech to Indian diaspora at Reagan Centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-anticipated address to the gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC began with international singer Mary Millben rendering India’s National Anthem. Read more

PM Modi in US LIVE: ‘With NASA, India will send astronauts to space’

“Defence industrial cooperation roadmap will deepen the partnership between the two nations. During my visit, companies like Google, Micron, Applied Materials and others have announced to make huge investments in India. All these announcements will help to create employment in India. The Artemis Accord signed between India and the US will provide several opportunities in space research. With NASA, India will send astronauts to space. That is why I said ‘Sky is not the limit’”: PM Modi addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC

PM Modi at the Ronald Reagan Center US LIVE updates:

Thank you for showing such a beautiful image of 'ek bharat, sreshth bharat', in america.

“I want to thank you all for showing such a beautiful image of 'Ek Bharat, Sreshth Bharat', in America. The amount of love I am getting in the US is wonderful, all the credit goes to the people of this country. President Biden and I had a lot of discussions in the last 3 days. I can say that he is an experienced politician. He has always tried to take the India-US partnership to another level”: PM Modi addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC

Mary Millben performed the National Anthem of India

Award-winning international singer Mary Millben performed the National Anthem of India at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC

PM Modi in US LIVE updates

Pm modi reaches ronald reagan center.

PM Modi to address Indian diaspora at Ronald Reagan Center, Washington.

PM Modi in US LIVE Updates: Enthusiasm builds at the Ronald Regan Building

'india and us are aligned vis-a-vis china': president-ceo of usisp.

President-CEO of USISPF, Mukesh Aghi spoke after PM Modi's address to the forum; said, "This was a historical, pivotal moment...He said that the partnership between India & the US is going to benefit the world. So, to me, this was a great event, a great visit of the PM..."

"...You have to also understand that geopolitically, both countries are aligned vis-a-vis China. Lot of US companies are saying, how do we deal with a scarce supply chain & they are looking at India as a potential source of that..," he said, ANI reported.

PM Modi addresses US-India Strategic Partnership Forum

Pm modi at usispf: ‘you will be delighted to know how swiftly india is going ahead’.

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

PM Modi at US-India Strategic Partnership Forum LIVE updates

Pm modi at usispf live.

At the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi says, “The partnership between India and America will only benefit the people of both countries. In the last 3 days, many historic steps have been taken to strengthen this partnership. India and America are moving forward as the most reliable partners.”

PM Modi at USISPF LIVE: ‘Neo middle class is continuously growing in India’

Pm modi at usispf live: ‘aspiration of indians not very different from the american dream’.

At the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi says, "The greatest driving force of India's success is the aspiration of Indians. This is not very different from the American dream. Today, the share of private consumption in India's GDP is the highest in the last 15 years."

PM Modi at USISPF LIVE updates

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

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Biden and Modi cheer booming economic ties in visit that also reckoned with India’s record on rights

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House Wednesday evening. (June 21)

President Joe Biden speaks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. The Washington Monument is seen in the distance. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., laugh as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a joke as he addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraces President Joe Biden during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden greets India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives for a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

First lady Jill Biden, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden wave from the Blue Room Balcony during an Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden listens as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauds as President Joe Biden speaks during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands with President Joe Biden during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with President Joe Biden during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands with President Joe Biden as they watch the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

White House workers roll out the red carpet, prior to the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Guests arrive to view a State Arrival Ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Vice President Kamala Harris during a State Arrival Ceremony with President Joe Biden on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk along the Colonnade to the Oval Office after a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk off stage at the conclusion of a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, walk into the White House at the conclusion of a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden stand on stage during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks as President Joe Biden listens during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden stand for the National Anthem during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens as President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens as President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, listens as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., applaud. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wait to greet India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the North Portico of the White House ahead of a State Dinner, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Roger Hochschild and Stephanie Hochschild arrive for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Maju Varghese and Julie Varghese arrive for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday pronounced the U.S.-India relationship never stronger and rolled out new business deals with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as human rights activists and American lawmakers questioned the administration’s decision to honor the leader with a pomp-filled state visit.

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

But Modi bristled at a reporter’s question about his country’s commitment to democratic values as the country has seen an erosion of religious, political and press freedoms under his watch.

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

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

Nevertheless, later in a 59-minute address before a joint meeting of Congress, Modi insisted that in India “diversity is a natural way of life.”

“We are home to all faiths in the world, and we celebrate all of them,” added Modi, in a line that brought many cheering lawmakers to their feet.

The premier’s description runs counter to accusations by rights groups of widespread attacks and discrimination against India’s Muslims and other minorities under Modi.

A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit. At least six Democratic lawmakers —Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Greg Casar of Texas, Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York — boycotted Modi’s address to Congress, because of concerns about his human rights records.

“When it comes to standing up for human rights, actions speak louder than words,” Bush, Tlaib, Omar and Bowman said in a joint statement. “By bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world.”

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

The state visit, just the third of the Biden’s presidency, was certainly a glitzy affair.

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

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

Later, Modi told Congress that “our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy” as the two countries expand partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and other industries. He also cheered the “samosa caucus”—the five U.S. House members of Indian descent—and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black and of Indian descent, as examples of the impact of the diaspora.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Modi, before Congress, said the war is “causing great pain” in Ukraine and having residual effects on Europe and beyond.

“This is not an era of war, but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy” Modi said. “And we must all do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering.”

Without specifically naming China, Modi also addressed heightened tensions in the region, saying “dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific.”

Later Thursday, Modi attended a lavish White House state dinner in his honor.

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Fatima Hussein, Stephen Groves, and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Countering China

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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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.

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India’s pm narendra modi to address us congress, us pushing india to seal armed drone buy when modi visits: report, cpj urges us to press india’s modi on media freedom during visit, rights groups to screen bbc film on modi before white house visit.

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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Indian Prime Minister Modi to visit the U.S.

Ayesha Rascoe

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

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

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

SEEMA SIROHI: Nice to be with you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SIROHI: Thank you.

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PM Modi's visit to US to set new benchmarks for bilateral ties: Pentagon

Prime Minister Modi will embark on his first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden this month. During his four-day visit starting on June 21, the US president and the First Lady will host Modi for a state dinner on June 22.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US this month will set new benchmarks for bilateral ties and some "really big, historic and exciting" announcements are likely to be made on defence cooperation and boosting India's indigenous military industrial base, the Pentagon has said.

"When Prime Minister Modi comes here to Washington for a State Visit later in the month, I think it will be a historic visit setting new benchmarks for the relationship," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said during a panel discussion at the Center for New American Security on Thursday.

"I think it (the visit) will be looked back upon similar to how the Japan two plus two earlier this year was a pivotal moment in the relationship. People will be looking back on this visit by Prime Minister Modi as a real springboard for the US-India relationship," he said.

Mr Ratner said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited India recently to advance a number of bilateral issues and prepare the ground for the prime minister's visit to Washington by finalising particular agreements and initiatives that the two countries are working on.

"Among the priorities are clear strategic alignment around the question of co-development and co-production between the United States and India on the defence side. This is a priority for Prime Minister Modi to strengthen India's indigenous defence industrial base, as well as advancing the military modernisation," he said.

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US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in January launched the initiative for critical and emerging technology (iCET) to try to bolster technology cooperation between the US and India.

"I know there have been efforts at this in the past. Sometimes there's skepticism around, is it going to be real this time? And my answer is, I think, all signs are pointing toward yes, it's going to be real and we're going to have some really big, historic, exciting announcements out of the prime minister's visit in terms of particular projects around defence industrial cooperation," Mr Ratner said.

"We are also enhancing our operational coordination in a number of different places. A lot of focus on the Indian Ocean, a lot of focus on the undersea domain, as well as new domains, space and cyber and new efforts around information sharing," he said.

"If you look at the development of the US-India relationship, it's really unbelievable how far the relationship has moved over the last couple of decades. That's true now more than ever," he said.

Ely Ratner said the two countries are seeing increasing strategic alignment.

"From our perspective, from India's perspective, we do share a vision again for a free and open Indo-Pacific. A strong US-India partnership is a critical ingredient to realising that vision. That's what both sides have understood that from India's perspective and from the US perspective, that a closer partnership is going to be essential to the manifestation of that vision," he said.

The US, India and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

"One of the major thrusts of the bilateral defence relationship and one of the things we were talking about, while we were in Delhi, is this ongoing US effort to support India's military modernisation," Mr Ratner said.

"The integration of our defence industrial base is more co-production, co-development, and I think that is based upon the belief that a stronger India that can defend its own interest and its sovereignty is good for the United States," he said.

ALSO READ | Visiting India, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tells Indians: You can try to build AI like ChatGPT, but you will fail

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

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

• By Sushmita Pathak

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“China is playing matchmaker here,” Rossow said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Modi Calls Muslims ‘Infiltrators’ Who Would Take India’s Wealth

The direct language used against the country’s largest minority was a contrast to the image Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents on the world stage.

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By Alex Travelli and Suhasini Raj

Reporting from New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called Muslims “infiltrators” who would take India’s wealth if his opponents gained power — unusually direct and divisive language from a leader who normally lets others do the dirtiest work of polarizing Hindus against Muslims.

Mr. Modi, addressing voters in the state of Rajasthan, referred to a remark once made by Manmohan Singh, his predecessor from the opposition Indian National Congress Party. Mr. Singh, Mr. Modi claimed, had “said that Muslims have the first right to the wealth of the nation. This means they will distribute this wealth to those who have more children, to infiltrators.”

Mr. Modi aimed his emotional appeal at women, addressing “my mothers and sisters” to say that his Congress opponents would take their gold and give it to Muslims.

Modi Calls Muslims ‘Infiltrators’ in Speech During India Elections

Prime minister narendra modi of india was criticized by the opposition for remarks he made during a speech to voters in rajasthan state..

I’m sorry, this is a very disgraceful speech made by the prime minister. But, you know, the fact is that people realize that when he says the Congress Party is going to take all your wealth and give it to the Muslims, that this is just a nakedly communal appeal which normally any civilized election commission would disallow and warn the candidate for speaking like this.

Implications like these — that Muslims have too many babies, that they are coming for Hindus’ wives and daughters, that their nationality as Indian is itself in doubt — are often made by representatives of Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P.

Mr. Modi’s use of such language himself, as he campaigns for a third term in office, raised alarm that it could inflame right-wing vigilantes who target Muslims , and brought up questions about what had prompted his shift in communication style. Usually, Mr. Modi avoids even using the word “Muslims,” coyly finding ways to refer indirectly to India’s largest minority group, of 200 million people.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress party, called Mr. Modi’s remarks “hate speech.” Asaduddin Owaisi, who represents the only national party for Muslims, lamented how “common Hindus are made to fear Muslims while their wealth is being used to enrich others.”

Tom Vadakkan, a spokesman for the B.J.P., said that Mr. Modi’s speech was being misinterpreted. “This is not about our compatriots, the Muslims,” he said. Mr. Modi was talking only about “infiltrators,” according to Mr. Vadakkan.

The prime minister’s fiery oration, delivered in 100-degree heat in the town of Banswara in arid Rajasthan, marked a contrast to the image he presents in international contexts.

During a visit to the White House in June, Mr. Modi said there was “no question of discrimination” in India. When he played host to the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi three months later, he chose the theme “the world is one family”(in Sanskrit, the primary liturgical language of orthodox Hinduism).

He put his own face on soft-power outreach programs like World Yoga Day, broadcast to Times Square, using it to present a Hindu-centric India as a benign “teacher to the world.”

Campaigns that divide Hindus and Muslims can be useful in animating the hard-right Hindu base of Mr. Modi’s otherwise broad-based electorate, especially in places like Banswara, where Hindus outnumber Muslims by three to one.

With his remarks, Mr. Modi may have been trying to close a divide that has opened among Hindus in Rajasthan over whether to support the B.J.P., with one prominent group holding protests over comments made by a party official.

But the prime minister’s speech was also clearly intended for a wider audience; he shared a clip on his official social media channels.

The B.J.P. remains the favorite to win another parliamentary majority when six weeks of voting concludes on June 1 and ballots are counted three days later. Mr. Kharge, the Congress party president, called Mr. Modi’s speech — perhaps hopefully — a sign of desperation, adding that opposition candidates must be faring well in the early stages of balloting.

Neerja Chowdhury, a columnist and the author of “How Prime Ministers Decide,” echoed Mr. Kharge, saying that, in her view, “voters are expressing their dissatisfaction much more openly this time.” The B.J.P. is capable of a swift course correction, she added, because “they get feedback very quickly.”

Rahul Gandhi, the public face of the Congress party , said that Mr. Modi’s comments had been intended as a diversion from subjects that trouble ordinary voters, like joblessness and inflation.

That the prime minister alluded to religion at all in his speech drew complaints that he may have violated India’s election rules.

Candidates are supposed to be barred from asking for votes in the name of religion or caste. But B.J.P. leaders regularly invoke Hindu deities during campaign rallies. The country’s Election Commission, which enforces the rules, has taken little action against the party, even as it has moved against members of other parties in similar cases.

Uddhav Thackeray, a former ally of Mr. Modi’s who is now running against the B.J.P., declared that he would now ignore an Election Commission order to remove the word “Hindu” from his own party’s campaign song.

The basis for Mr. Modi’s attack was a 22-second excerpt from a statement that Mr. Singh, a Sikh economist who was the prime minister before Mr. Modi, made in 2006. Mr. Singh had been listing many of the traditionally disadvantaged groups in India, including lower-caste Hindus and tribal populations, and “in particular the Muslim community,” and said that all should share equitably in the nation’s wealth.

Since Mr. Modi took office in 2014, Muslims haven’t had a proportional share of India’s steady economic and social development . Just one of the 430 candidates the B.J.P. is fielding in the current election is Muslim.

Mr. Singh’s speech from 2006 seems old now, but it was made just four years after riots in the state of Gujarat under the watch of Mr. Modi. Hindus and Muslims hacked and burned one another and at least 1,000 died, most of them Muslims.

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of Muslim candidates that the B.J.P. is fielding in India’s current election. It is one, not zero.

How we handle corrections

Alex Travelli is a correspondent for The Times based in New Delhi, covering business and economic matters in India and the rest of South Asia. He previously worked as an editor and correspondent for The Economist. More about Alex Travelli

Suhasini Raj is a reporter based in New Delhi who has covered India for The Times since 2014. More about Suhasini Raj

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The Modi-fication of India Is Almost Complete

E arlier this month, two Indian writers published an ode to their Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Written in lyric form and titled “Forever In Our Hearts,” it recounts his achievements while singing his praises in highly effusive language. “With courage and wisdom/you show citizens the way,” it gushes. “Oh Modi, oh Modi/their hopes never sway/A people’s beacon, in whom they see light/Oh Modi, oh Modi, guiding day and night.”

Such reverence captures the essence of Modi’s popularity. Many simply respect him; many others seemingly worship him. He’s beloved by a large majority of the country, as evidenced by an approval rating that climbed to a new high of 75% earlier this year. Victory in the upcoming general elections —which begins Friday and runs through June 1 —is widely expected.

There’s much that explains Modi’s popularity . That includes his personality (supporters view him as incorruptible), leadership and communication styles, and his policy achievements at home and abroad—not to mention a weak opposition and the massive BJP machine behind him. Above all, and perhaps most worryingly, he’s won over millions for his government’s aggressive Hindu nationalism. That includes laws and policies that discriminate against Muslims (such as denying fast-track citizenship to Muslim refugees from neighboring nations, restricting or banning beef in some states, and expunging mentions of Muslim history from school textbooks). Some of Modi’s party colleagues and supporters have resorted to hate speech , and the country has seen pronounced and rising numbers of attacks on religious minorities. Modi supporters have also propagated conspiracy theories against Muslims (including the “ love jihad ” that baselessly claims that Muslim men court Hindu women to force them to convert). This has all played out against shrinking space for dissent, with crackdowns on media and broader civil society.

Not all of this is unprecedented. Pre-Modi, India experienced religious tensions (and deadly riots ). Indian Muslims have tended to be the most vulnerable, but communal tensions have harmed Christians and Sikhs. There have also been periods where democracy struggled—including states of emergency between 1975 and 1977. It was justified by the then-government of Indira Gandhi (of the Congress party) to restore law and order following massive opposition protests. But those cases were episodic. What’s happening today is continuous, and playing out on a greater scale. And much of it—including the Prime Minister publicly performing religious ceremonies —is very new.

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

The Modi-era actions are highly controversial because of India’s constitutionally enshrined secular traditions and resilient democracy. But while this Modi-fication of India has not gone down well with many citizens—particularly Muslims—it has far too many backers to be characterized as a wholesale trampling on the public will. This may be the tyranny of the majority, but it’s also something that enjoys a public mandate.

For Modi and his mammoth base, this new India is stronger domestically and internationally, more confident, and utterly democratic. It delivers big-bang achievements—from landing on the moon to becoming a top-performing economy. The Modi-ification of India has provoked pushback, and even mass protests . But rarely has Modi reversed course on a new policy or law—and never on religion-based issues. The same is likely to be true in a third Modi term.

On the international stage, Modi’s policies have generated extensive criticism. Yet foreign governments are in no position to do anything about it. The West perceives India—because of its size, military, and economic clout—as a crucial partner in efforts to counter China . Much of the broader world sees India as a partner in these or other ways. There is little appetite to upset India over internal affairs or use any leverage to push a change of tack. It’s India, therefore, not its critics, that has leverage to wield.

There is little choice, then, but to accept the reality of a Modi-fied India, and that India will be what Modi and so many of his compatriots want it to be.

For the West, this is easy when guided by purely strategic concerns. Sure, there are positions India takes—like its embrace of multipolarity, which risks diluting U.S. power, and its enduring partnership with Russia—that don’t thrill Western capitals. Yet the Modi-fication of India could undermine the U.S. and its allies’ interests. For instance, Washington wants India to attract more foreign tech firms to reduce their presence in China. But New Delhi’s crackdown on social media content risks scaring some away. A third Modi term could also produce more communal unrest, distracting his government’s foreign policy bandwidth.

All that said, the Modi-fication of India is not necessarily irreversible. Whether after his third term or beyond, the 73-year-old Modi will have to retire. The BJP, deprived of its wildly popular leader, may struggle to adjust without a man so closely associated with the party. This may provide an opening for a Congress that has floundered since losing power in 2014.

Political opportunities could also emerge for new BJP leaders with different ideas and policies. Much will depend on who succeeds Modi as BJP head. The two top candidates , interior minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, are fervent and at times aggressive proponents of Hindu nationalism. Other possible successors are more moderate .

Nevertheless, for now and certainly in the immediate aftermath of June 1, don’t expect any modifications to India’s Modi-fication.

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