R ARIVANANTHAM
The visit of world’s largest democracy India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States on Thursday has assumed huge significance amid global economic and geopolitical headwinds. And this has become the spotlight of global media.
Since the US feels that under visionary leader PM Modi, India is a friend in need and a friend indeed and raising this friendship further will be mutually beneficial to both countries as well as the entire world.
- India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) launched in Washington DC, US
- The Indo-Pacific is where the US possibly needs India’s influence more than anywhere else right now
The White House is pulling out all the stops to welcome Modi – it’s a state visit, the highest level of diplomatic protocol the US accords to visiting leaders. Modi was given a ceremonial welcome at the White House on Thursday before he held direct talks with President Joe Biden.
Then there was the state dinner, a meeting with CEOs, an address to a joint session of Congress and speeches to Indian-Americans.
Earlier a leader once denied a visa to travel to the US because of concerns over human rights – now the US sees Modi as a crucial partner.
Behind the carefully crafted ceremonies lie discussions that have the potential to not only infuse new energy into India-US relations but also have an impact on the global order.
The Indo-Pacific is where the US possibly needs India’s influence more than anywhere else right now. The US has long viewed India as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the region, but Delhi has never been fully comfortable with owning the tag.
It may still be reluctant to do so but China continues to be one of the main catalysts driving India-US relations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down in New York on 20 June for a historic state visit to the United States (US), his first since he became PM in 2014. A White House statement had earlier observed, “The […] visit 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.” Indeed, the event further secures ties between the world’s oldest and largest democracies. Crucially, it also allows PM Modi to advance his mission of taking India to the world, internationalising a deeply felt personal belief system, and demonstrating Indian leadership on the global stage.
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PM Modi-led Yoga session in US creates Guinness World Record
One of the PM’s first engagements in the US—leading the observance of International Yoga Day at the United Nations (UN) headquarters—directly reflects these three principles. Addressing the UN, Modi said that yoga presents the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Sreshtha Bharat” as a model for the world. It “expands the inner vision” and helps “eliminate our contradictions, blockages, and resistances.” India has “always nurtured traditions that unite, adopt, and embrace,” and yoga itself is an extension of the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
The visit 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.
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Last year, the entire world came together to support India’s proposal to celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets: PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/FQ1Dxo0oMY
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 21, 2023
The PM’s earlier, and successful, push for 2023 to be celebrated as the International Year of Millets and his launch of the pathbreaking LiFE initiative have been guided by the same imperatives. Millets offer enormous nutritional value and measures to promote domestic and international demand will boost sustainable production and consumption. Similarly, the environment-friendly lifestyle changes that we make as individuals will help build a cleaner, greener planet.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, are slated to host a state dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday, June 22.
#WATCH | Guest Chef Nina Curtis gives details on the State Dinner that will be hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"…We are very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of millet. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu" she… pic.twitter.com/Ts0Smq6TN7
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023
Ahead of the scheduled dinner, Jill Biden briefed the media on details of the arrangements made. From the dinner theme being inspired by the national bird peacock, to decor that signifies the tricolour, the state dinner is expected to have an Indian touch.
It has been kept in mind that PM Modi is a vegetarian. Jill Biden said she had asked Chef Nina Curtis — who specialises in plant-based cuisine — to work with the White House staff and create a “stunning vegetarian menu”. However, guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well.
Some millet-based dishes will also be included in the menu, inspired by PM Modi’s call to include them as part of the White House dinner.
Giving details on the decorations and preparations during the state dinner, Jill Biden said, “Tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-coloured flowers at every table — the colours of the Indian flag.”
Following the dinner, there will be performances by Grammy award winner Joshua Bell, and Penn Masala, a South Asian acapella group from the University of Pennsylvania. The group will sing songs inspired by the sounds of India, Jill Biden said.
Promotion of digital public infrastructure
World leaders have appreciated India’s Digital Public Infrastructure and it has been called a 'game changer' for India’s economy.#GlobalBharatKe9Saal pic.twitter.com/uGrK1jYhyJ
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) June 22, 2023
This broad framework of principles has shaped India’s presidency of the G20 and the country’s emergence as the legitimate voice of the Global South. It has also served as the bedrock of the PM’s efforts to re-engage with fundamental social contracts and advocate for a new individualism, a new internationalism, and a new multilateralism.
A stimulating exchange of views between PM @narendramodi & eminent economist and Nobel laureate Prof Paul Romer.
Discussions touched upon India’s digital journey, including the use of Aadhar and innovative tools like Digilocker. Talks also covered various initiatives being… pic.twitter.com/Zd0KSK0skL
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 21, 2023
Digital empowerment will be the principal arena for the rise of a new individualism. Hence, the promotion of digital public infrastructure (DPI) has been a core priority of the Indian G20 presidency. India became the first country to create all three foundational DPIs—a unique identity system, a real-time fast payment system, and a platform to share personal data without compromising privacy. Collectively, these three layers have transformed public service delivery and citizen empowerment, and unleashed innovation on an unprecedented scale. Today, more than 99.9 percent of Indian adults use their Aadhaar ID to avail public services, Indians makes 30 million transactions every day via the Unified Payments Interface, and the country operates the world’s largest tech-enabled financial inclusion programme. India is sharing its DPI expertise with the world and has grabbed the attention of the Global North.
Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer on meeting Prime Minister Modi:
A good day is when I learn something and I learnt a bunch what India is doing… India can show the way to the World on authentication front by programs like Aadhaar… PM articulated it very well. That urbanisation is… pic.twitter.com/wNeIylQfic
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) June 21, 2023
Interacting with PM Modi on the first day of his visit, American economist Paul Romer said that India “can show the world how to do it right” as far as tech solutions like Aadhaar and the Digilocker go. Recent statements by the Quad Leaders and the EU-India Trade and Technology Council too have emphasised the transformative power of DPI.
Modi’s ambitious goal of reaching net-zero by 2070
PM Shri @narendramodi ji made the historical commitment – India to be net-zero by 2070 – in his national statement at the COP26.
India is one of those few countries which have not only met the commitment it made in Paris in 2015 but has exceeded it.-Sh @ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/4qC6CMGvTk
— Office of Mr. Anurag Thakur (@Anurag_Office) December 13, 2022
He has set India the ambitious goal of reaching net-zero by 2070, but is conscious that a new internationalism can only be born of a new order of climate collaboration.
PM Modi is keen to engineer a new contract between people and the planet. He has set India the ambitious goal of reaching net-zero by 2070, but is conscious that a new internationalism can only be born of a new order of climate collaboration. Accordingly, India and France co-founded the International Solar Allinace (ISA) in 2015 for countries to jointly develop and deploy cost-effective solar-led clean energy solutions. Today, the ISA counts 114 nations as members, and its ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ programme, launched by PM Modi, is regarded as a visionary effort to connect different regional grids through a common grid that can transfer renewable energy power across borders.
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
Taking climate action a step further, in 2019, the PM established the multistakeholder Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure to strengthen the resilience of infrastructure to the risks of climate and disasters. Among other countries, the US has formally lauded India for setting up the CDRI, and USAID has committed funds and knowhow to support its work.
Finally, India’s voice has been among the strongest calling for a new and reformed multilateralism. In February, PM Modi urged G20 Finance Ministers and central bank heads to take urgent steps to reform and revitalise multilateral development banks. Addressing the UN Security Council (UNSC) in April, the Indian Permanent Representative called the UN Charter “anachronistic”, and lashed out at the UNSC’s system of five Permanent Members with a veto power, arguing that five nations cannot be made “more equal than others”. Both interventions underscore the Indian position that an overhaul of the UN and Bretton Woods institutions is now critical.
The India-US relationship has grown steadily stronger during this period, as indicated by the bilateral Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, a major imminent defence deal, and congruent perspectives vis-a-vis the Quad.
The last nine years have been a period of intense geopolitical and geoconomic shifts, exacerbated by a global pandemic, territorial incursions, and financial recessions. The India-US relationship has grown steadily stronger during this period, as indicated by the bilateral Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, a major imminent defence deal, and congruent perspectives vis-a-vis the Quad.
India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) launched in Washington DC, US
India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) launched in #WashingtonDC , U.S.
INDUS X factsheet released for operationalising the ‘Defence Innovation Bridge’ under Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)
Read here: https://t.co/tsYRP5dKbr…
— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 22, 2023
India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched at an event in Washington DC, USA on Wednesday. The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).
Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the two-day INDUS-X event on 20-21 June 2023. A reception for Indian and US Government representatives, defence start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders was orgainsed on 20 June 2023. Amb. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address.
#WATCH | The US | INDUS X Summit underway in Washington, DC. Visuals from the event.
"During his keynote at INDUS X being hosted at US Chamber, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall states that the "strategic logic" of US-India is "imminently clear" and emphasizes that we… pic.twitter.com/QYjEzS8dim
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023
Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force, gave the opening keynote address on 21 June at the INDUS-X event. He stated that the India-US relationship is growing exponentially. He emphasised that there is enormous potential for startups of both nations to collaborate in deeptech innovations, especially in Space and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain.
Anurag Bajpai, in his welcome remarks on “Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence relations”, hailed the launch of iCET as a landmark event in India-US relationship. He said this was an opportune moment for this event, as the leaders of the two largest and oldest democracies of the world meet in Washington.
The Joint Secretary stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US start-ups. He further asked the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. The Joint Secretary also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focussing on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the philosophy of “Make in India, for the world”.
The event also saw a first-of-its-kind joint showcasing of innovative technologies by Indian and US start-ups. 15 Indian start-ups and 10 US start-ups, from multiple domains of maritime, AI, autonomous systems, and space, showcased their technologies to Indian and US stakeholders. The exhibition was visited by senior US officials, including Congressman Ro Khanna, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems (CITI) and as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and by Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, US DoD.
Two panel discussions and two roundtables were held, focussing on deepening collaborations across various domains, including government, academia, and industry especially startups. Discussions on export control regulations were also held.
An INDUS X factsheet was released at the event.
