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

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

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

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

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

Peter Baker

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

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

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

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

Here’s what else to know:

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

The United States is trying to draw India closer , as the urgency for improved relations has intensified with Russia’s war on Ukraine. India has maintained military and economic relations with Russia, buying up Russian oil at a discount and staying away from backing United Nations resolutions that have condemned Russia’s aggression.

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

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

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

Suhasini Raj

Indian television heaps praise on Modi during his trip.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lisa Friedman

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

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

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

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

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

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

Katie Rogers

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

Alex Travelli and Mujib Mashal

Reporting from New Delhi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Karoun Demirjian

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. Modi will go stag.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alex Travelli

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Damien Cave

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

Mujib Mashal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Reporting from Washington

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Domestic politics often hang over the dinner, as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another thought on Modi’s sales pitch. William Dalrymple, the esteemed historian of India’s past empires, told me recently that India’s sense of overconfidence might be its biggest problem at the moment, hindering the country’s ability to fully confront and solve the enormous challenges it faces, like youth unemployment and social, economic and religious divides.

Very true, Karoun. Not much love for digital payments here in a chamber that has struggled with how to regulate technology of any kind!

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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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The India vs Pakistan T20 match in New York faces challenges with drop-in pitches causing uneven bounce and seam movement. Criticized for being substandard, this raises concerns about cricket's success in the US. Rushed planning and lack of experience highlight the incompetence of the ICC and USA cricket board, potentially hindering the sport's growth in the country.

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Biden warmly welcomes India's Modi despite questions about human rights issues

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President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hug during an arrival ceremony at the White House on June 22. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hug during an arrival ceremony at the White House on June 22.

President Biden is rolling out the red carpet for India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welcoming him to Washington with an honor reserved for the closest allies of the United States — a state visit that includes a glitzy black-tie dinner.

It's a sign of the importance the White House places on its relationship with India, the world's most populous country, which it sees as an indispensable partner in countering the influence of China.

But it's also a sign of the delicate balance Biden is trying to maintain between his geopolitical strategy and his campaign promise that human rights would be a central focus in his foreign policy.

With raids, arrests and hostile takeovers, India press freedom continues to decline

India prides itself on being the world's largest democracy. And while the country continues to have vibrant elections, experts worry that much of what makes a liberal democracy thrive is currently being undermined in India under Modi.

"The accusations of backsliding, religious bigotry, attacks on the press, attacks on civil society make this a particularly awkward moment in which to celebrate the two democratic countries coming together to contest China," said Irfan Nooruddin of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, who studies democracies and democratic institutions.

Earlier this year, Indian tax authorities raided local BBC offices after the network aired a documentary that was critical of Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots where over 1,000 people died, mostly Muslims. The Indian government has outright banned the documentary.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi answers a question during a press conference with President Biden. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi answers a question during a press conference with President Biden.

Democratic allies want Biden to speak out

More than 70 Democratic members of Congress signed a letter urging Biden to discuss human rights and democratic values during this week's visit.

Biden told reporters that he had a "good discussion" with Modi about democratic values, and said both countries "cherish freedom and celebrate the democratic values of universal human rights which face challenges around the world and in each of our countries, but which remain so vital to the success of each of our nations. Press freedom, religious freedom, tolerance, diversity."

Modi — who doesn't usually participate in press conferences — told a U.S. reporter that he was "actually really surprised" that human rights groups have raised issues of discrimination against religious minorities and crackdowns on free speech. He defended his government's track record on human rights.

"We have always proved that democracy can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion or gender — there's absolutely no space for discrimination," Modi said.

The White House is concerned about issues of press freedom and religious liberty in India, and officials privately raise the matters with their Indian counterparts, a senior Biden administration official told NPR, speaking about sensitive diplomatic issues on the condition of anonymity.

"I think the key is, how we handle it," the official said. "Indian interlocutors feel very uncomfortable when they feel that they've been lectured or dealt with through very public displays."

Concerns about China are a big part of the U.S.-India relationship

Biden told reporters that the relationship between the United States and India is "among the most consequential in the world." There are common interests between the two countries on health care, climate change, education, and technology.

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Biden and Modi announced a long list of deals on Thursday, demonstrating the breadth of the strategic relationship. This includes a plan to jointly produce GE's F414 jet engine in India, a new Micron semiconductor facility in India, cancer research, and a pilot for more quickly adjudicating work visa renewals.

But experts say the most important convergence between the two countries is national security. The White House views China as the single biggest foreign policy threat of the current era.

"The China factor is really an accelerant in the relationship," said Akriti (Vasudeva) Kalyankar from the Stimson Center's South Asia Program.

5 Things To Know About Biden's Quad Summit With Leaders Of India, Australia And Japan

Biden and Modi did not mention China in their prepared remarks — but China is an "undeniable" factor in the bilateral relationship, said the senior administration official who spoke with NPR. "Our view is that this is an absolutely critical period to build a strong relationship with India ... and one of the reasons why is that it helps in our overall strategy in the Indo-Pacific," the official said.

And this view isn't limited to the White House. Republican and Democrats in Congress have similar concerns about China's impact in the region.

"[The] relationship with India is incredibly important in stabilizing the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and enabling us to basically lower the possibility of conflict," said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., a ranking member on the House Select Committee on China.

India has its own concerns about China

Modi has his own concerns about China, given the historic rivalry and border conflicts between the two nations, said Ben Rhodes, who worked on national security issues in the Obama White House.

Because of that, Rhodes said he thinks the White House could be more outspoken about democratic backsliding and treatment of Muslim minorities in India without risking continued collaboration with India on the national security issues.

"I think that Modi is doing this for what he perceives as India's interests in having a bloc of countries that can counter China," Rhodes said.

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Another point of contention has been Russia's war in Ukraine. India has refused to condemn the war, while Biden has led Western support for Ukraine.

Biden on Thursday said he talked with Modi about "our shared efforts to mitigate the humanitarian tragedies unleashed by Russia's brutal war in Ukraine." Modi said India's emphasis has been on "resolution of dispute through dialogue and diplomacy. We are completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace."

"I think that the Biden administration has been willing to set aside their differences over Russia because they really are playing a long game with India. And they see China as the long-term threat," said Lisa Curtis, director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, who spent years working on South Asia foreign policy in the U.S. government.

U.S. policymakers and foreign policy experts see this state visit as a critical moment to cement ties that are going to be vital for the next 50 years.

"India is going to have influence in this region. It's inevitable with its growing economy, its huge population," said Curtis. "And it's very important for the United States to remain closely engaged, even if there are bumps in the road."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and first lady Jill Biden greet Noah Isirimah at an event about technology and education in on June 21, part of Modi's state visit. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and first lady Jill Biden greet Noah Isirimah at an event about technology and education in on June 21, part of Modi's state visit.

Correction June 22, 2023

A previous version of this story incorrectly said that Modi did not address Russia's war in Ukraine in his prepared remarks. In fact, he briefly addressed the conflict.

Watch CBS News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Narendra Modi
• Civil Rights

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Photography

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

By Washington Post Staff | Jun 22, 2023

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

Tom Brenner for The Washington Post

Biden and Modi walk toward the Oval Office.

Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post

Biden and Modi during their meeting in the Oval Office.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biden and Modi embrace during the ceremony.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

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

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

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

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

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

Modi greets lawmakers before delivering his remarks.

Modi shakes hands with a lawmaker.

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

Minh Connors/The Washington Post

Modi speaks to Congress.

A view of the House chamber.

Audience members cheer during Modi's speech.

Modi addresses Congress.

Modi waves to supporters after his speech.

Modi takes photos with members of Congress.

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

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

Ting Shen/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

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

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

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

Julia Nikhinson/Reuters

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

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky Lauren.

Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi.

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

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

Susan Walsh/AP

Biden and Modi toast during the state dinner.

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

Yuri Gripas/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

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

Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

The first lady shakes hands with Modi.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

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

Evan Vucci/AP

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

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

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

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

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

More from The Post

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

The latest from The Washington Post

Photo editing and production by Stephen Cook

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

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

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

• Foreign & Public Diplomacy
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• Michael Kugelman

Welcome to  Foreign Policy ’s South Asia Brief.

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

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

Modi’s State Visit Begins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What We’re Following

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

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

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

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

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

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

Under the Radar

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

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

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

More From FP on Modi’s State Visit

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

Regional Voices

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

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

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

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

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Biden welcomes Indian Prime Minister Modi for state visit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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India’s Modi to visit White House in June as Biden seeks stronger ties amid competition with China

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the inauguration of the Global Buddhist Summit, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

President Joe Biden walk towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 10, 2023, to travel to the Hudson Valley in New York. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House next month, courting an Indo-Pacific leader with whom he has sought stronger ties as the United States looks to blunt China’s growing assertiveness in the region.

Modi’s visit June 22 “will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday in announcing the Indian leader’s official state visit.

Biden and Modi will focus on their countries’ commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region, as well as on their technology partnerships, including in defense, clean energy and space, she said. They will also discuss common challenges, including climate change, health security and developing the workforce.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the visit will “underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the United States”

“This historic visit offers a valuable opportunity for India and the US to further deepen a comprehensive and forward-looking global strategic partnership,” the Indian government said.

U.S.-India relations under Biden have been warm, but also marked by complexity as Biden has sought stronger ties with the world’s largest democracy while at the same time looking to counter China’s growing economic and military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Since coming to office, Biden has sought to reinvigorate the Quad, an international partnership with the U.S., Australia, India and Japan. But unlike the other Quad countries and nearly every other major U.S. ally, India has not imposed sanctions on Russia and has offered only limited criticism of its invasion of Ukraine. Russia is India’s biggest supplier of military hardware.

The partnership first formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to host Biden, Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney later this month.

As Biden worked to unite the world against Russia, India boosted its imports of Russian oil. That allowed India to increase its energy supplies at a discount as its economy struggled to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

When Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, he offered measured public comments about Russia’s actions in Ukraine. “I know that today’s era is not of war,” Modi told Putin.

But Biden has put a premium stronger economic ties with India and other Indo-Pacific nations amid growing competition with China. That’s helped soften the differences between the U.S. and India over Russia.

“So even though, on Russia, Ukraine, and a whole range of other issues around the world, we do have differences in approaches and different views,” said Richard Rossow, senior adviser and chairperson of U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington “On the threat that we both kind of agree is the major emerging threat ... for the next generations, there’s very little daylight in our perception there.”

Last year, Biden launched a trade deal with India and 11 other Indo-Pacific nations called the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework . The White House said the agreement would help those economies work more closely on issues including supply chains, digital trade, clean energy, worker protections and anticorruption efforts.

The president is likely to face criticism from human rights advocates for inviting Modi on a state visit and for plans plans to celebrate him at a state dinner, which is a high diplomatic honor reserved for close U.S. allies.

Press freedom in India has declined in recent years and opponents of Modi’s governing Hindu nationalist party have accused it of stifling dissent and introducing divisive policies that discriminate against Muslims and other minorities.

Modi has also been accused of trying to silence critics of his administration’s handling of the pandemic.

India routinely denies criticism of its human rights record. It has also rejected criticism by foreign governments and rights groups that civil liberties have contracted in the country.

Asked about the optics of lavish treatment for Modi, Jean-Pierre said Biden always discusses human rights concerns with his counterparts. She said the U.S.-India relationship is critical.

“This is an important relationship as we speak about the Indo-Pacific, as we talk about how to move forward in that region,” Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday during a trip with Biden. “The president believes this is an important relationship that we need to continue and build on.”

Modi had a warm relationship with Biden’s immediate predecessor as president, Republican Donald Trump.

In 2020, weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic forced much of the world into lockdown, Trump made a two-day visit to India that included a raucous rally at a 110,000-seat cricket stadium. Trump had hosted Modi in the U.S. in 2019, a visit that included a side trip to Houston that drew about 50,000 people, many from the large Indian diaspora in the U.S.

Biden last hosted Modi at the White House in September 2021 for a meeting of leaders of the Quad. India also holds the rotating president of the Group of 20 nations and Biden is expected to attend that summit in New Delhi later this year.

Modi is the third foreign leader whom Biden has invited on an official state visit, which includes an expansive arrival ceremony with pomp and pageantry on the White House lawn and a ritzy state dinner with scores of guests from the worlds of politics, business and entertainment. French President Emmanuel Macron visited late last year, followed by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in April.

The last time India was so honored was nearly 15 years ago, under then-President Barack Obama in 2009.

This story has been corrected to reflect that Modi’s upcoming visit is not his first to the Biden White House; Modi visited Biden in 2021.

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

N arendra Modi was once shunned by the U.S. In 2005, the then-chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat was denied a diplomatic visa amid accusations he tacitly supported Hindu mobs during communal violence three years earlier that left more than a thousand people, most of them Muslim, dead.

But he is shunned no more. On June 22, Washington will roll out the red carpet for Modi, who will become just the third world leader (after France’s Emmanuel Macron and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol) to be invited by President Joe Biden for a state visit and dinner, the highest of diplomatic receptions typically reserved for only the closest of allies. That Biden has chosen to fete Modi in this way is indicative of the “deep and close partnership” between their two countries, the White House said in a statement , especially on matters of foreign policy. But it is perhaps also emblematic of the growing visibility and electoral heft of the Indian American community.

“Indian Americans are a key constituency and a key vote in a number of swing states,” says Sara Sadhwani, an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College and a senior researcher at AAPI Data, which publishes demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans.

More from TIME

With a population of nearly 5 million, Indian Americans are the second-largest immigrant group and fastest-growing voting bloc in the U.S. today. Their impact is evident at the ballot box, where Indian Americans voted in record numbers during the 2020 presidential election. It is also becoming increasingly apparent in the halls of power, from Congress (where there are five Indian American lawmakers currently serving, up from just one a decade ago) to the White House (where Kamala Harris, who is biracial, made history as the first Vice President of Indian heritage). While every presidential contest since 2016 has featured at least one Indian American candidate, 2024 is poised to be the first race to feature at least two: Nikki Hayley, the daughter of Sikh immigrants from Punjab, and Vivek Ramaswamy, whose parents hail from Kerala.

Modi’s enduring popularity among the diaspora

The Indian American community’s political weight has not been lost on Modi, who has leveraged its influence time and again. When the Prime Minister first came to power in 2014, he was received by 20,000 spectators at a sold-out event in New York’s Madison Square Garden during a five-day visit to the U.S. It was the largest reception any foreign leader has received in the country after the Pope. “This is India’s century,” Modi declared, sending the wildly enthusiastic crowd into a frenzy.

In 2019, Modi once again received a jubilant reception with nearly 50,000 spectators at a “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston.

A survey on Indian American attitudes conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and YouGov in 2020 found that Indian Americans held broadly favorable views of Modi, with nearly half approving of his performance as Prime Minister. Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at Carnegie, says that this might be because the Indian diaspora sees Modi as “reclaiming India’s rightful status on the global scene.”

“India is now perceived to be both big and vital to geopolitics,” Vaishnav adds. Whether it’s hosting the G-20, being feted at the state dinner by President Biden, or even maintaining cordial relations with Vladimir Putin, he says that “many Indian diaspora members view this as a sign that India is back and experiencing a period of resurgence.”

The support for Modi comes despite the fact that while Indian Americans are hardly a monolith, they tend to vote for Democrats, rather than Republicans who more closely align with Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party. As many as 74% of Indian American voters are thought to have backed Biden in 2020, according to a 2022 survey by AAPI Data , compared to just 15% supporting Donald Trump.

While Biden’s welcoming of Modi is widely seen in the context of Washington hoping to strike defense deals with New Delhi (most analysts tell TIME the reason for the visit can be distilled to one word—China—owing to the indispensable role of India in U.S. efforts to deter Chinese aggression), it’s also recognizing Modi’s popularity among a key American voting bloc. “In a time when the country has elections decided by four states and a margin of a few percent or less, every community really matters,” says Neil Makhija, the president of Indian American Impact advocacy group. “Ours really showed up in a significant way for [Biden] in Georgia, in Pennsylvania, in Arizona.”

Still, the Republican Party sees Indian Americans as a “natural constituency,” Vaishnav says. “They are well-off, and they’re business oriented. They care about low taxes, low regulation, and entrepreneurship, and they’re socially conservative. So I don’t think it’s a group that the Democratic Party is going to take for granted.”

A “very awkward” dilemma

Modi’s state visit also poses a strategic challenge to Biden. As a candidate, the U.S. President made defending human rights and democracy a cornerstone of his foreign policy agenda. Critics argue that his embrace of Modi, who over his two terms as Prime Minister has overseen significant democratic backsliding in India, is doing just the opposite.

The controversial Indian leader—who is poised to win his third term next year—has been accused of aggressively championing a Hindu-nationalist agenda that critics say reinvents the very idea of India as a pluralist, secular democracy to a religious, nationalist autocracy. Under Modi’s leadership, India has passed discriminatory laws that have alienated nearly 200 million Muslims; squashed dissent by jailing journalists, activists, and civil society organizations; and exercised judicial influence against his political opponents (notably, Rahul Gandhi , the de facto leader and scion of the Gandhi-Nehru family at the helm of the opposition Congress Party).

The U.S. has taken note. The State Department’s annual Religious Freedom Report, a survey of religious freedoms around the world, has expressed a number of concerns over India in recent years. It was notable that unlike last year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made no mention of India in his speech this year, which analysts saw as a move to keep U.S.-India relations friendly ahead of Modi’s visit.

But according to Audrey Truschke, an associate professor of South Asian history at Rutgers University and a vocal critic of Modi’s Hindu nationalist base, the decision to host Modi shows that the “Biden administration does not care about human rights in India. If they did, there is absolutely no way that they would be hosting Modi right now.”

“It’s very awkward for the administration,” adds Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think-tank in Washington, D.C. “The strategic imperatives of partnership limit the options for the administration to bring attention to this issue—especially publicly, given that this Indian government does not take kindly to any type of external criticism of its internal policies.” The top priority for the administration, he says, will be to “avoid any drama.”

While the White House may want to keep the visit as anodyne as possible, the same doesn’t appear to be the case for the Indian American community at large. In the run up to Modi’s visit, pro-Modi groups have organized “Unity” marches in nearly 20 American cities on June 18, while those opposed to Modi’s presence plan to stage a rally near the White House to coincide with his arrival on June 22.

In an open letter drafted by Hindus for Human Rights, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, several Indian Americans, human rights advocates, and concerned allies have also urged Biden to “push back” against the Indian government’s “escalating attacks on human rights and democracy.”

By honoring Modi, Truschke warns that the White House could inadvertently encourage communal violence within the Indian American community. “This will make Hindu nationalist groups feel even more emboldened in the U.S.,” says Truschke, who herself has been on the receiving end of threats from far-right Hindu nationalists.

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

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

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

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

What is a state visit.

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

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

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

How is a state visit different from an official visit?

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

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

Indian leaders and state visits to the US

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Countering China

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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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Biden congratulates Modi, discusses US official Sullivan's visit

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Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and David Brunnstrom and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Katharine Jackson and Leslie Adler

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Thomson Reuters

Kanishka Singh is a breaking news reporter for Reuters in Washington DC, who primarily covers US politics and national affairs in his current role. His past breaking news coverage has spanned across a range of topics like the Black Lives Matter movement; the US elections; the 2021 Capitol riots and their follow up probes; the Brexit deal; US-China trade tensions; the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan; the COVID-19 pandemic; and a 2019 Supreme Court verdict on a religious dispute site in his native India.

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Modi set to be formally elected as alliance leader as india coalition talks progress.

Newly elected lawmakers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arrived in New Delhi on Friday for their first meeting at which he will be formally elected as their leader, ahead of presenting his claim to form a new coalition government.

US National Security Adviser to visit India to discuss way ahead with Modi 3.0 govt

I n an upcoming diplomatic move, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is set to visit India to engage with the newly elected government in New Delhi, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi gears up to be sworn in for a third consecutive term, as confirmed by The White House.

While the announcement of Jake Sullivan's visit has been made, the specific travel dates to India have not been disclosed yet. However, his visit is anticipated to coincide with Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony, which is likely to take place on Saturday evening, June 8.

The discussion surrounding Sullivan's visit transpired during a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Narendra Modi on Wednesday, where Biden extended his congratulations to Modi on his re-election victory.

In a statement released by The White House, it was mentioned, "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in India’s general election."

Biden also commended the people of India for participating in the largest democratic exercise in human history, with nearly 650 million going to the polls to vote, the press brifeing outlined.

Both leaders emphasised their dedication to fortifying the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and advancing their shared vision of a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, according to The White House statement.

"The two leaders emphasized their commitment to deepening the U.S.-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and to advancing their shared vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders also discussed National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s upcoming travel to New Delhi to engage the new government on shared U.S.-India priorities, including the trusted, strategic technology partnership."

Joe Biden highlighted the strong "friendship" between the US and India during the call, a sentiment echoed by other senior administration members, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also conveyed congratulatory messages.

In response to Biden's outreach, Narendra Modi expressed his delight in receiving the call from his "friend."

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Readout of President Joe   Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of   India

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in India’s general election.  The President also commended the people of India for participating in the largest democratic exercise in human history, with nearly 650 million going to the polls to vote.  The two leaders emphasized their commitment to deepening the U.S.-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and to advancing their shared vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders also discussed National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s upcoming travel to New Delhi to engage the new government on shared U.S.-India priorities, including the trusted, strategic technology partnership.

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Voting ends in the last round of India’s election, a referendum on Modi’s decade in power

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India’s six-week-long national election came to an end Saturday with most exit polls projecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to extend his decade in power with a third consecutive term.

During the grueling, multi-phase election, candidates crisscrossed the country, poll workers hiked to remote villages, and voters lined up for hours in sweltering heat. Now all that’s left is to wait for the results, which are expected to be announced Tuesday.

The election is considered one of the most consequential in India’s history. If Modi wins, he’ll be only the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.

Exit polls by major television news channels projected Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies were leading over the broad opposition alliance led by the Congress party. Most exit polls projected BJP and its allies could win more than 350 seats out of 543 — far ahead of the 272 seats needed to form the next government.

Indian television channels have had a mixed record in the past in predicting election results.

Modi’s campaign began on a platform of economic progress, with vows to uplift the poor and turn India into a developed nation by 2047. But it turned increasingly shrill in recent weeks as Modi escalated polarizing rhetoric in incendiary speeches that targeted the country’s Muslim minority, who make up 14% of India’s 1.4 billion people.

After campaigning ended Thursday, Modi went to a memorial site honoring a famous Hindu saint to meditate on national television. The opposition Congress party called it a political stunt and said it violated election rules as the campaigning period has ended.

When the election kicked off in April, Modi and his BJP were widely expected to clinch another term.

Since coming to power in 2014, Modi has enjoyed immense popularity. His supporters see him as a self-made, strong leader who has improved India’s standing in the world, and credit his pro-business policies with making the economy the world’s fifth-largest.

At the same time, his rule has seen brazen attacks and hate speech against minorities, particularly Muslims. India’s democracy, his critics say, is faltering and Modi has increasingly blurred the line between religion and state.

But as the campaign ground on, his party faced stiff resistance from the opposition alliance and its main face, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party. They have attacked Modi over his Hindu nationalist politics and are hoping to benefit from growing economic discontent.

Pre-poll surveys showed that voters were increasingly worried about unemployment, the rise in food prices and an overall sentiment that only a small portion of Indians have benefited despite brisk economic growth under Modi, making the contest appear closer than initially anticipated.

The seventh round of polls covered 57 constituencies across seven states and one union territory, completing a national election to fill all 543 seats in the powerful lower house of parliament. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — were eligible to elect a new parliament for five years. More than 8,300 candidates ran for the office.

In Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, voters lined up outside polling stations early Saturday morning to avoid the scorching heat. Modi was challenged there by the state’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, who heads the regional Trinamool Congress party.

“There is a crunch for jobs now in the present market. I will vote for the government that can uplift jobs. And I hope those who cannot get jobs, they will get jobs,” said Ankit Samaddar.

In this election, Modi’s BJP — which controls much of India’s Hindi-speaking northern and central parts — sought to expand their influence by making inroads into the country’s eastern and southern states, where regional parties hold greater sway.

The BJP also banked on consolidating votes among the Hindu majority, who make up 80% of the population, after Modi opened a long-demanded Hindu temple on the site of a razed mosque in January.

Modi ramped up anti-Muslim rhetoric after voter turnout dipped slightly below 2019 figures in the first few rounds of the 2024 polls, in a move seen as a bid to energize his core Hindu voter base. But analysts say it also reflected the absence of a single big-ticket campaign issue, which Modi has relied on to power previous campaigns.

In 2014, Modi’s status as a political outsider with plans to crack down on deep-rooted corruption won over voters disillusioned with decades of dynastic politics. And in 2019, he swept the polls on a wave of nationalism after his government launched airstrikes into rival Pakistan in response to a suicide bombing in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian soldiers.

But things are different this time, analysts say, giving Modi’s political challengers a potential opportunity.

“The opposition somehow managed to derail his plan by setting the narrative to local issues, like unemployment and the economy. This election, people are voting keeping various issues in mind,” said Rasheed Kidwai, a political analyst.

Saaliq and Pathi write for the Associated Press. AP video journalist Shonal Ganguly contributed from Kolkata, India.

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