-Writer
After the Australian PM stated that “Modi is the Boss”, while giving him a rock star like welcome in Australia, now the Indian Prime Minister gets a grand welcome by the US President at the White House. USA in its aim to strengthen its ties with India has welcomed PM Narendra Modi in a very special and significant manner. Modi also addressed the joint session of US legislature and delivered his speech in a very emphatic manner during his visit. He is among the rare political personalities in the world who has addressed the US Congress twice. In the meetings with the US President the two leaders discussed about various bilateral and multilateral issues, which will surely boost the India-US relations in the areas of defence, space research, clean energy etc.
As per the news reports, GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. signed an MoU aimed at joint production of F fighter jet engines in India. India has been using, which are lighter than GE 414 engines, to power its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A. US is about to open two new consulates in Bengaluru and in Ahmedabad, while India will establish a mission in Seattle, according to the reports from the White House. India has also decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration and NASA and ISRO will have a joint mission to ISS in 2024.
Importantly, all the major newspapers in the USA gave great importance to the visit of the Indian Prime Minister. The Washington Post notes ‘In Prime Minister’s address before Congress, Modi puts his focus on growth.’ “Lawmakers welcomed Modi to the House Chamber warmly, giving him a loud standing ovation. Some in the gallery chanted his name as lawmakers lined up to shake his hand as he made his way to the dais,” the report said. The style section of The Washington Post has a half-page photograph of Prime Minister Modi flanked by the Bidens in the White House for the lavish state dinner.
A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, greeting US lawmakers with a ‘Namaste’ during his address at the US Congress, is on the front page of The New York Times, with the caption “At a joint session of Congress on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India avoided using the words “Russia” and “China.” The Financial Times carried a photograph of the two leaders standing for the national anthems on the South Lawn of the White House during the ceremonial welcome, with the caption ‘Stronger Ties Biden and Modi commit to a ‘defining’ relationship between democracies’.
India, being the largest democracy of the world, the 5th largest economy and the fastest growing economy is continuously putting strong steps to move forward in making itself as a major political and strategic player in the world, under PM Modi, who happens to be the most popular politician of the world. The Indian industry experts also praised about the results of PM’s visit to the US. As per the news reports, Chairman Mahindra Defence and Aerospace, SP Shukla on PM Modi's US visit said: "...It's a trend-setting visit. PM Modi addressing US Congress for the second time sends out a very important message that the two nations wish to work together.
After Australia, the White House receives PM Modi in grand style, which echoes India’s strong position in world politics. Picture Courtesy: Deccan Herald
The message goes to the industrial community, business, community, and policymakers and intent starts getting translated into action. Both leaders have clearly specified that technology will be the cornerstone of the partnership... Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) President, Subhrakant Panda, said "I'm very confident that this is the start of a new chapter in the bilateral relationship with mutual trust and convergence of views on strategic issues. It will benefit not just the two nations but the world at large. As the prime minister said the future is AI America and India...," he said. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President R Dinesh on the PM's visit said: "MSMEs are the backbone of our country's growth. MSMEs finding a mention in the joint statement between India & US is a significant development. We welcome this & thank the PM for it. The expanse & depth with which the approach has been made by PM has never been seen before."
Another important point needs to be mentioned that US seeks to reinforce its relations with India to counter China’s worldwide influence, although during the briefings both India and the USA did not take the name of “China”. It is a very widely known fact that China in recent years has nearly replaced Pakistan as India's main security threat. The border issues have turned the world's two most populous countries into rivals again in the Indo-Pacific region. That is why, a union of strategic interests between the United States and India is very significant and India’s visit to the US may also have sent a strong message to China.
* Boddhisatya Tarafdar is the India Editor of Bahumatrik.com
