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PM Narendra Modi US Visit 2023 Live News Updates:
After attending a luncheon at the State Department, hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and addressing the Indian diaspora, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his three-day State visit to the United States and departed for Cairo, Egypt.
PM Narendra Modi concluded his address to the Indian diaspora at the Raegan center in Washington with chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and said that he will directly leave for the airport, before jetting off for a two-day visit to Egypt. The event was attended by Indian-origin doctors, lawyers, hoteliers and businessmen.
Watch the live event here:
On his last day of the visit, PM Modi also held interactions with select CEOs, professionals and other stakeholders in a 'tech handshake event'.
Here are the highlights from Modi's "Tech Handshake" event.
US President Joe Biden at the hi-tech handshake event with top CEOs of the US and India at the White House, said, "Our cooperation matters, not just for our own people but quite frankly to the whole world as our partnership is about more than the next breakthrough or the next deal as big as they may be."
US President Joe Biden said, "Our partnership is about more than the next breakthrough or the next deal as big as they may be. It is about taking climate change, about tackling, about exploring the universe, about lifting people out of poverty, preventing pandemics & giving our citizens real opportunity."
This morning is only among a few friends but has brought with it the guarantee of a bright future," PM Modi said and referred to the developments as 'honhaar, shandaar, dhardaar' in Hindi.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, Reliance Industries Chairman & MD Mukesh Ambani, Zerodha & True Beacon Co-Founder Nikhil Kamath and several others were present.
Moreover, check out some pictures from Modi's final day in the US.
(Photo: PTI)
(Photo: PTI)
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(Photo: PTI)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi)
(Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
(Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
(Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
(Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
(Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
Previously, Modi addressed the United States Congress, participated in a official state dinner, and held a one-on-one bilateral discussion with US President Joe Biden and also addressed a press conference.
For highlights of Modi's second day in the US: Click here to read the full highlights of the Modi-Biden press conference, Tap here to read the full highlights of Modi's speech at the US Congress, and check out the key points from the discussions here.
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After a crucial one-on-one bilateral discussion and press conference with United States President Joe Biden, and a speech to a joint sitting of the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a State Dinner held at the White House, his final engagement of the day.
Many Indian and Indian-American business tycoons were also on the list of guests. Some of the big names included Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Anupama Nadella, the chairman of Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra, Ronak Desai and Bansari Desai, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, business tycoon Anand Mahindra, and many more.
The third and final day of Modi's US visit will see him hold one-on-one interactions with select CEOs, professionals and other stakeholders. He would give a speech at an event organised by the Washington DC-based independent non-profit organisation called the 'US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.'
Subsequently, Modi will be hosted at the Foggy Bottom Headquarters of the State Department by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for an official state luncheon.
Modi's diaspora outreach will peak at an event organised at the Ronald Raegan Centre in Washington DC, with attendance from Indian-origin doctors, lawyers, hoteliers and businessmen, news agency ANI reported.
While his diaspora address will reportedly be relatively modest compared to previous visits, with a select gathering of nearly 1,000 people, an organiser told news agency PTI that Modi pushed his departure from Washington DC by a few hours to make time for the event.
"The world famous @EmpireStateBldg joins in the celebration of #IndiaUSAFriendship as it welcomes Prime Minister @narendramodi on the #HistoricStateVisit2023," tweeted Indian's Consulate General in New York.
Moreover, visuals shared by the Consulate also showed the Naigara falls lit up in the Indian tri-colour.
On the final day of the visit, the Business leaders who are set to meet PM Narendra Modi in Washington include:
Satya Nadella
Anand Mahindra
Sundar Pichai
Sam Altman
Revathi Advaithi
Lisa Su
Tim Cook
Mukesh Ambani
Will Marshall
Thomas Tull
Nikhil Kamath
Vrinda Kapoor
Hemant Taneja
Fostering Democracy: Acknowledging President Biden's belief that theirs is a defining partnership of this century, Modi emphasized that their alliance serves a larger purpose. He stated, "Democracy, demography, and destiny give us that purpose."
Ukraine War & Terrorism: Modi commented on global conflicts, appearing to hint at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said, "This is not an era of war but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy and we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering."
Uniting Cultures & Indian Community: PM Modi also highlighted the importance of the Indian diaspora in US and said, "There are millions here who have roots in India, some of them sit proudly in this chamber and there is one behind me," referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Women Empowerment: PM Modi specifically acknowledged the remarkable achievements of women and shared an inspiring story about President of India, Draupadi Murmu, who transcended a humble tribal background to assume the esteemed position of Head of State.
Sustainable Development: PM Modi highlighted significant initiatives, underlining India's dedication, including the fulfillment of India's commitments under the Paris Agreement and the promotion of renewable energy sources.
Fostering Collaboration: Modi further emphasised on the collaborative efforts between India and the US in diverse fields, including space exploration, maritime cooperation, scientific research, semiconductor technology, startup innovation, sustainability initiatives, technology development, trade, agriculture, finance, art, and artificial intelligence.
Modi and Biden addressed a press conference following bilateral talks and addressed issues of human rights, press freedom, discrimination and democracy.
When questioned regarding claims of targeting minorities in India and human rights violations in India, PM Modi said "We have proved democracy can deliver. If there are no human values, no human rights, no humanity, it's not a democracy.
"When we live in a democracy, there's no place for discrimination. In India, there is no discrimination on the basis of caste, age, religion," Modi told reporters in the White House. However, while Modi addressed the question of discrimination, but not the silencing of critics.
Biden was also asked about criticism against PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party government overlooking human rights violations in India, some of which originated from within the democratic party. Biden said that he had a "good discussion about democracy" with the Indian PM.
Both Biden and Modi laid significant importance on economic ties. Laying out their discussions, PM Modi said that trade between the two countries has almost doubled over the decade, "supporting tens of thousands of good jobs in both India and the United States."
On the last day of his US state visit, PM Modi is scheduled to attend the "India-US hi-tech handshake event" at the White House where he will meet the CEOs of top organisations such as FedEx, MasterCard, and Adobe, to discuss innovation, investment, and manufacturing in a variety of technology sectors.
The event, with US President Joe Biden, is set to begin shortly.
Anand Mahindra, Chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra, is at the White House to attend the event and said, "Back in the White House this morning for the ‘Tech Handshake’ meeting’ Soaking in the heritage atmosphere of the rooms named by their colours."
"The most poignant Presidential portrait is of JFK. Painted posthumously and a pensive pose… unlike the others," he added.
US President Joe Biden at the hi-tech handshake event with top CEOs of the US and India at the White House, said, "Our cooperation matters, not just for our own people but quite frankly to the whole world as our partnership is about more than the next breakthrough or the next deal as big as they may be."
"It is about taking climate change, about tackling, about exploring the universe, about lifting people out of poverty, preventing pandemics & giving our citizens real opportunity," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The coming together of talent and technology guarantees a brighter future."
"Whether we call it the American dream or Indian dream...our people believe profoundly in opportunity. No matter who we are or where we come from, we can make something more of ourselves," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he raised a toast "to the shared hopes of the US and India," at the State Luncheon attended by PM Modi.
"...Here in the US, India is part of our daily lives. We enjoy our Jhumpa Lahiri's novels over samosas. We laugh at the comedies of Mindy Kaling. We dance to the beats of Diljit at Coachella. We keep ourselves more or less fit and healthy doing Yoga," Blinken added.
Speaking at the Luncheon, Vice President Kamala Harris said, "As I travel the world as Vice-President, I've seen India's global impact. In South East Asia, India-made vaccines saved lives."
"In the African continent, India's long-standing partnerships support prosperity and security. Through the Indo-Pacific, India helps promote a free and open region," Harris added.
At a luncheon with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, PM Modi extended his gratitude and said, "I would like to thank VP Kamala Harris & Secretary Blinken for this grand welcome. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to you for your warm words."
"Today, I am delighted to be before you once again at the State Department. In the last 3 days, I participated in numerous meetings. In all these meetings, one thing was common. Everyone agreed that friendship and cooperation should further deepen between the people of India & US," said PM Modi
PM Narendra Modi at the Luncheon hosted by US State Department, said, "Bharat aur America ke sambandhon ki madhur geetmala, people to people ties ke suron se piroyi gayi hai."
“With new frameworks like Quad and I2U2, we are making major progress together,” he added and said, "We (India-US) have added more dimensions in our corporation in the defense and strategic sector."
In a report for the Los Angeles Times, Aamer Hadhani, Coleen Long and Seung Min Kim said that while President Biden hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House and highlighting the strong partnership between the United States and India, the trip was overshadowed by talks of human rights concerns.
The story highlighted concerns from human rights activists about honoring Modi" due to issues related to political, religious, and press freedoms in India," but said that despite the controversies, the visit saw several significant developments.
During a briefing, NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said, "This State visit (of PM Narendra Modi) wasn't about China. India has challenges with China as well right on their doorstep."
"India has to make its own choices about (Russian) oil purchases and we hope that we can continue to see that they purchase Russian oil at or below the price cap, as they have been," Kirby said regarding a matter that has remained highly talked about since the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine.
"President Biden made it clear during this visit that there is just simply no partner that is going to be more consequential in helping solve problems than India."
President Joe Biden gifted a special T-Shirt to PM Narendra Modi with the PM's quote on AI after Modi's speech in the US Congress where he said, "In the past few years, there have been many advances in AI- Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, there has been even more momentous development in another AI- America and India."
After meeting PM Modi, Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy said, "Very interested in helping create more jobs, helping digitise more small and medium size businesses and helping more Indian companies and products be able to be exported all around the world."
"Amazon is one of the biggest investors in India. We have already invested 11 billion dollars, with an intention to invest another 15 billion dollars bringing the total to 26 billion dollars," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy in Washington DC. Previously, he met Beoing David L. Calhoun in Washington. Modi's meeting with Calhoun came after Air India recently finalised a massive order for up to 290 Boeing aircraft at the Paris Air Show.
US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti commented on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit and said, "I feel that AI is the future- America and India. We had more things that we got done than any other in the history."
Google CEO Sundar Pichai, after meeting PM Modi, in Washington said, "His (PM Modi's) vision for Digital India was way ahead of its time."
Enthusiasm is building at the Ronald Regan Building as members of the Indian diaspora begin to take their seats and wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address. The speech is set to begin at 4 am IST.
Mahindra and Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra held one-on-one talks with with PM Modi in Washington and subsequently said:
At the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "Mr Prime Minister this has truly been a historic visit to Washington."
"We are investing in our people. Our countries' educations system have collectively trained the leaders of trailblazing companies in both the US and India," Blinken added.
John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus of Cisco, spoke at the USISPF event in Washington, DC, and said, "India shows up in the economic results, it has moved from the 10th position to the 5th position. India will become the number 1 economy in the world"
Speaking at the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi said, "It has been four days since I came to the US. In these 4 days, I met several people, including President Biden. The one thing that gave me self-confidence is the India and US partnership."
"I can confidently say that this partnership is not just of convenience but of conviction, of compassion and of shared commitment for a better future. The foundation of this partnership is you," Modi added.
At the event, PM Narendra Modi said, "The greatest driving force of India's success is the aspiration of Indians. This is not very different from the American dream."
"The partnership between India and America will only benefit the people of both countries. In the last 3 days, many historic steps have been taken to strengthen this partnership. India and America are moving forward as the most reliable partners," the Indian PM said.
Concluding his statement at the USISPF event, PM Narendra Modi said:
The PM will now address the Indian diaspora at the Reagen center.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Ronald Reagan center in Washington to address a large crowd of Indian diaspora members.
After Modi arrived, the Indian and American national anthems were sung. Award-winning international singer Mary Millben sung the Indian national anthem.
"I am so honoured to be here... I loved hearing the crowd sing the National Anthem. You could hear the passion in all of their voices," she said.
Speaking to the Indian diaspora, PM Modi said, "In a way, you have charted out the full map of India in this hall. I can see people from all corners of India here. It seems that a mini India has turned up."
Speaking at the Ronald Raegan center in Washington, PM Modi said, "In these 3 days, a new and glorious journey of India and the US relations has begun. This new journey is of our convergence on global strategic issues, of our cooperation for Make in India Make for the World."
"During my visit, companies like Google Micron, Applied Materials and others have announced to make huge investments in India...The Artemis Accord signed between India and the US will provide several opportunities in space research," Modi added.
"It has now been decided that the H1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself," PM Modi said, addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington.
Addressing the Indian diaspora, PM Modi said, "America is our biggest trading partner and export destination but the real potential of our partnership is yet to come out. This is the best time to invest as much as possible in India."
"The research centre of Google's AI in India will work on more than 100 languages. With the help of Indian Govt, Tamil Studies chair will be established here at University of Houston," the Indian PM added.
"I am happy that the American government has decided to return more than 100 antiquities of India that were stolen from us. These antiquities had reached the international markets. I express my gratitude to the American government for this," PM Modi said, addressing the Indian diaspor
PM Narendra Modi concluded his address to the Indian diaspora at the Raegan center in Washington with chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and said that he will directly leave for the airport, before jetting off for a two-day visit to Egypt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi set off for Egypt's Cairo, bringing his 3-day State visit to the United States to an end.
Published: 23 Jun 2023,06:31 PM IST