- Thursday, April 24, 2025
Besides engagements with the diplomatic and business circles, the prime minister’s visit is also likely to witness an unprecedented deal on jet engine technology.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN PRIME minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (20) left for the US for his first state visit — the highest diplomatic reception reserved for Washington’s closest friends. Besides engagements with the diplomatic and business circles, the visit is also likely to witness an unprecedented deal on jet engine technology, reports said.
Besides leading International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday (21), Modi will also attend a state dinner hosted by US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the White House on Thursday (22) besides addressing a joint session of the US Congress, something which he will be doing for the second time and as the first Indian prime minister. The last time he addressed a joint session of the US Congress was in 2016 when Barack Obama was the president.
“No Indian prime minister has addressed it twice. World over also, very few people have done that… Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela… That’s why its importance is huge,” Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said.
Modi is only the third world leader after French president Emmanuel Macron and South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol to be invited by Biden for a state visit and dinner.
He is also the third Indian leader to make a state visit to the US. The other two were by former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in June 1963 and former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009.
The prime minister will also meet a number of CEOs and business leaders of America and engage with the Indian diaspora who enthusiastically prepared for Modi’s visit last weekend by gathering at a number of iconic locations across the US.
Modi tweeted ahead of his departure, saying, “Leaving for USA, where I will attend programmes in New York City and Washington DC. These programmes include Yoga Day celebrations at the @UN HQ, talks with @POTUS @JoeBiden, address to the Joint Session of the US Congress and more.”
Leaving for USA, where I will attend programmes in New York City and Washington DC. These programmes include Yoga Day celebrations at the @UN HQ, talks with @POTUS @JoeBiden, address to the Joint Session of the US Congress and more. https://t.co/gRlFeZKNXR
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 20, 2023
In another post, he added, “In USA, I will also get the opportunity to meet business leaders, interact with the Indian community and meet thought leaders from different walks of life. We seek to deepen India-USA ties in key sectors like trade, commerce, innovation, technology and other such areas.”
In USA, I will also get the opportunity to meet business leaders, interact with the Indian community and meet thought leaders from different walks of life. We seek to deepen India-USA ties in key sectors like trade, commerce, innovation, technology and other such areas.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 20, 2023
Speculation is rife that General Electric may produce the cutting-edge GE-F414 jet engine in India after entering a multi-million dollar agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or HAL. F/A-18 Hornet, the US Navy’s go-to fighter, is powered by the engine.
It will be unprecedented as the US has not allowed the transfer of this level of technology to any other country.
