Prime Minister Modi embarked on his first state visit to the US this week, a move that holds ramifications for ties between the two democracies. It is the third state visit of the Biden administration that had earlier hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. This makes Modi only the third Indian leader to be invited for a US state visit – the last one being former PM Manmohan Singh in 2005. The agenda encompasses concerns such as global health cooperation, fighting climate change, improving the ease of doing business, defence cooperation, emerging technologies, space, and people-to-people exchanges.
The visit transpired after Antony Blinken landed in Beijing — in the first visit by a US Secretary of State in China since 2018. The focus of that meeting was to stabilise ties between the countries. The Biden administration has said Modi’s visit to the White House should not be seen as a move to counter China. There are some big-ticket trade-related expectations from the PM’s American sojourn. India’s GDP is estimated to hit the $25 trillion mark by 2047, and it currently accounts for 4-5% of the global GDP. It’s a market the US cannot ignore, while India also seeks America’s capital and its cutting edge-technology – both in military and non-military applications.
The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCet) that was launched by the National Security Advisers of both countries in 2023 is a crucial action item. The initiative heralded a sea change in American attitude vis-a-vis the question of transfer of technology. Now, the two nations are collaborating on quantum computing, AI, space, defence, robotics, open RAN systems, 5G and 6G technologies. Modi is set to sign an agreement for the US to transfer the GE-F414 jet engine technology to India, which will be a big boost for the aviation industry. An agreement for the purchase of Predator drones is also likely to be signed during the PM’s visit.
The influence of the 4.2 mn strong Indian diaspora will also be on full display during the visit. The PM will interact with CEOs (including Tesla’s Elon Musk) and thought leaders, that will comprise some esteemed folks of Indian origin.
On the diplomatic front, India’s potential to play a stronger role in the Quad (a grouping comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan) is something the Americans are looking forward to. However, the US strategic community is aware of India’s insistence on maintaining its status as a non-aligned nation, which could prevent New Delhi from siding with Washington in matters of tackling Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific. This consistency in foreign policy came to the fore during the Russian occupation of Ukraine as well. The nation has stood its ground and protected its own interests, a case in point being its purchase of discounted oil from Russia, which became a bone of contention for the Western powers.
Right now, over 70 US Senators and Representatives have written to President Biden asking him to bring up questions regarding democratic norms and human rights in India, during his conversations with Modi. It makes sense considering how the PM had said that both the countries share values of democracy and diversity. But it’s a query that works both ways and one can only hope that both leaders put their money where their mouths are – as far as such issues are concerned.