New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today returned to India after concluding his three-day official visit to the United States. During his visit, the prime minister attended the Quad leaders’ summit and the UN General Assembly session. He also addressed the Indian diaspora at an event in New York and held multiple bilateral meetings with several heads of states. The prime minister also spoke at the ‘Summit of the Future’, organised by the United Nations.
PM Modi began his visit from Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, where his flight – Air India One – landed. He was welcome by a thousands of Indian-Americans who had gathered at the airport to greet him. From there, the prime minister went to Wilmington in Delaware, which is US President Joe Biden’s home city and state.
President Biden hosted the Quad leaders for the annual summit in his home city. 2024 was India’s turn to host the Quad Summit, but on a request by Washington DC, New Delhi agreed to host it next year.
PM Narendra Modi was greeted by hundreds of Indians who had gathered at the airport in Philadelphia. (PTI Photo)
JOE BIDEN HOSTS PM MODI AT HOME
President Biden hosted PM Modi at his home in Greenville, Delaware where the two leaders held bilateral talks to further strength the India-US strategic partnership. President Biden welcomed PM Modi on his arrival with a hug. He then help PM Modi’s hand and led him into his house.
Prime Minister Modi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to United States President Joe Biden for his warm hospitality. “Yesterday, President Biden took me to his home in Delaware, and his warmth and hospitality touched my heart. This honour belongs to 1.4 billion Indians, it’s your honour, your achievement, and the honour of the millions of Indians living here. I express my gratitude to President Biden and to all of you,” PM Modi said a day after meeting President Biden.
PM Modi gifted an antique silver hand-engraved train model to Joe Biden. The train model was customised by inscribing “DELHI-DELAWARE” on the sides of the main carriage and “INDIAN RAILWAYS” on the sides of the engine in English and Hindi based on the standard format used on passenger trains in India. Crafted by artisans from Maharashtra, which is renowned for its rich heritage in silver craftsmanship, the model is made of 92.5% silver
PM Modi also gifted a Kashmiri pashmina shawl to First Lady Jill Biden.
After the meeting, Mr Biden took to social media website X and said the United States’ partnership with India is “stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history”, adding that “Prime Minister Modi, each time we sit down, I’m struck by our ability to find new areas of cooperation. Today was no different.”
INDIA-US BILATERAL MEETING
INDIA’s GLOBAL ROLE
During the bilateral meeting, President Biden expressed appreciation for India’s leadership on the world stage, particularly Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G20 and the Global South, a White House statement said. The US President also praised the Prime Minister’s commitment to strengthen the Quad to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
“India is at the forefront of efforts to seek solutions to the most pressing challenges, from supporting the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the devastating consequences of conflicts around the world,” the White House said.
President Biden, it said, commended Prime Minister Modi for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine. The statement was silent on the Prime Minister’s visit to Russia.
SEMICONDUCTOR PUSH
The White House said that the two leaders cheered the success of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors, including space, semiconductors, and advanced telecommunications.
SPACE COOPERATION
In the space technology sector, the two leaders welcomed the progress towards the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025.
DRONE DEAL, DEFENCE PACTS
The US president welcomed the progress in India completing the procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and their associated equipment, the White House said, adding that these will enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of India’s armed forces.
The two leaders recognised the progress under the US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems. Prime Minister Modi and President Biden also welcomed efforts to expand defence industrial partnerships.
CLEAN ENERGY
PM Modi and President Biden welcomed the joint efforts to accelerate the expansion of safe and secure clean energy supply chains through US and Indian manufacturing of clean energy technologies and components.
“In its initial phase, the U.S. and India would work together to unlock $1 billion of multilateral financing to support projects across the clean energy value chain for renewable energy, energy storage, power grid and transmission technologies, high efficiency cooling systems, zero emission vehicles, and other emerging clean technologies,” the White House said.
The two leaders welcomed the India-US collaboration on a new National Center for Hydrogen Safety in India and affirmed their intent to utilise the new Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) to enhance collaboration on clean energy manufacturing and global supply chains.
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE
The two leaders celebrated the new US-India Drug Policy Framework, which will deepen the collaboration to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals, and deepen a holistic public health partnership.
“The Leaders applauded the first-ever U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue held in August 2024, which brought together experts from both countries to increase research and development to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer,” the White House said.
In a joint statement issued by Indian and the US, the United States stated that it supports the call for a reformed UN Security Council and said it backs India’s bid for a permanent seat with veto power.
THE 2024 QUAD LEADERS’ SUMMIT
During his opening remarks at the Quad Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific is the shared priority and commitment of the Quad countries. US President Joe Biden, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, and Japan PM Fumio Kishida were present at the meeting.
PM Modi pointed out the Quad summit is being held at a time when the world is surrounded by tensions and conflicts. “At such a time, it is important for all of humanity that the members of the Quad move forward based on shared democratic values. We are not against anybody. All of us support rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of all disputes,” he said.
To strengthen the fight against cervical cancer, India pledged a grant of USD 7.5 million to the testing, screening, and diagnosis of the disease in the Indo-Pacific region. Addressing the Cancer Moonshot event on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi said the initiative would go a long way in providing affordable, accessible and quality health care to people in Indo-Pacific countries.
“India is ready to share its experience and expertise,” PM Modi said, asserting that the grant was made under India’s vision of ‘One Earth, One Heath’.
The 2024 Quad Summit was the farewell summit for Joe Biden, who is not seeking re-election as President. It was also the final summit for Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, whose term as prime minister will end this year.
After the summit, when asked by reporters if the Quad will survive beyond November 2024, President Biden gestured by keeping his hand on PM Modi’s shoulder and said “long beyond 2024” – a post of which went viral on social media.
KEY BILATERAL MEETINGS
During his US visit, PM Modi engaged with several world leaders and held multiple bilateral meetings.
Apart from his bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held bilateral talks with Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. These bilateral meetings were held in Delaware on the sidelines of the Quad Summit.
PM Modi held several other bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. These meetings included bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas; His Highness the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Vietnam’s President To Lam..
ROUNDTABLE MEET WITH TOP TECH CEOs
While in New York, Prime Minister Modi held a roundtable meeting with the top American CEOs from the technology field. The meeting focused on innovation, collaboration, and India’s growing tech space. It was held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel.
Hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, the roundtable saw participation from leaders of companies specialising in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology.
The roundtable was attended by prominent CEOs like Google’s Sundar Pichai Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Adobe Chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen, Lisa Su – Chair and CEO of AMD; and Noubar Afeyan – Chairman, Moderna.
Speaking about Artificial Intelligence or AI, the prime minister stressed that India’s policy is to promote ‘AI for All’, underpinned by its ethical and responsible use.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, “Had a fruitful roundtable with tech CEOs in New York, discussing aspects relating to technology, innovation, and more. Also highlighted the strides made by India in this field. I am glad to see immense optimism towards India.”
UNITED NATIONS’ ‘SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE’
On the third-and-final day of his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The theme of the Summit was ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’.
During his speech at the forum, PM Modi said, “Alongside terrorism, new areas of conflict are emerging and it is high time that “global action must match global ambition.”
Pointing out that terrorism continues to be a serious threat to global peace and security, PM Modi said on the other hand, “cyber, maritime and space are emerging as new areas of conflict”
Talking of growing global concern over dangers from new and evolving technologies, especially artificial intelligence, PM Modi said, “There is a need for balanced regulation at a global level, for the safe and responsible use of technology.”
Expanding on his earlier statement that “this is not a time for war”, PM Modi said, “When we are discussing the global future, we must accord the highest priority to a human-centric approach while prioritising sustainable development,” adding that “We must also ensure human welfare, food and health security.” He also declared that India was ready to share her experience in poverty eradication and bridging the digital divide.
In his closing remarks, PM Modi said that, “The success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not in the battlefield and for world peace and development, reform is essential for global organisations”.
‘MODI AND US’ – THE MEGA DIASPORA EVENT
Besides his official engagements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian diaspora in the United States at a mega event organised at the Nassau Coliseum Arena in New York’s Long Island.
Tens of thousands of Indians gathered at the stadium. A packed house cheered on Prime Minister Modi as he took the stage to address Indian-Americans. The prime minister called them the “brand ambassadors” of India and thanked them for being the bridge between India and the United States. He credited people of Indian origin for their cultural and work ethos and for being rule-abiding citizens, saying it is primarily because of them that India gets the respect and recognition in the United States.
Calling India the new “land of opportunity”, the prime minister spoke about the achievements in India in recent years, informing the Indian community about the progress made by India in several industries as well as the development in social infrastructure.
Before ending his speech, the Prime Minister announced two more consulates that will soon open in the US – in Boston and Los Angeles.
Upon his return, the Prime Minister’s US visit was praised by all the allies in the NDA government – from Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha.
