Tuesday 05 / November / 2024
New Delhi : The personal camaraderie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden has pushed the bond between the two world's largest democracies to greater heights.
President Joe Biden has said the friendship between the US and India was among the most consequential in the world as the two countries signed several major deals to further elevate their strategic technology partnership.
During PM Modi's visit to the US in June, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed him at the White House for the state dinner. PM Modi also addressed a joint session of the US congress (a rare honour for a visiting leader from overseas) is evident of the fact that India-US relations are deepening and widening.
PM Modi stressed that the state dinner evening has become quite special because of the presence of the people of the two countries, as he called them "most precious assets."
During his speech at the State Dinner held at the White House, PM Modi said, "Indian Americans have come a long way in the US and have always found a respectful place in America's melting pot. Indian Americans have played a significant role in further strengthening the inclusive society and economy of the US."
Showing the strong bond between PM Modi and US President Biden, the two leaders were seen sharing a hug at the White House.
A 'state visit' holds a special significance as compared to other foreign visits, as this is a formal visit by the head of state to a foreign country at the invitation of the head of state hosting him. Moreover, the visit signifies the highest expression of friendly bilateral ties between two sovereign nations.
In one of Biden's addresses, he stressed that the relationship between India and the United States is "one of the most defining relationships" in the 21st century.
Moreover, emphasising the strong boost in the strategic sectors between the two countries, multiple deals and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed between India and US, including the semiconductor deal, artificial intelligence (AI), space-related deals and much more.
During the state visit, PM Modi and President Biden hailed the signing of an MoU on the Semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership as a significant step in the coordination of the two countries' semiconductor incentive programmes, which will further promote commercial opportunities, research, talent, and skill development, according to a statement.
The leaders welcomed an announcement by Micron Technology to invest up to USD 825 million to build a new semiconductor assembly and test facility in India with support from the Indian government.
The combined investment valued at USD 2.75 billion would create up to 5,000 new direct and 15,000 community job opportunities in the next five years.
Following the state visit, in July, President and CEO of semiconductor player Micron Technology Sanjay Mehrotra met PM Modi in Gujarat's Gandhinagar and they discussed the US-based company's plans to bolster the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem within India. Micron announced plans to build a new assembly and test facility in Gujarat with the facility expected to meet demand from both domestic and international markets.
Besides the semiconductor deal, PM Modi and Biden further highlighted working on other sectors as well, including the co-production of jet engines for the Indian Air Force, defence industrial collaboration, space sector cooperation, innovation partnership and collaboration in emerging artificial intelligence technology.
Later, in a major announcement, GE Aerospace announced that it had signed a MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce state-of-the-art fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force, which are known for their endurance and durability and will further enhance the capacity of the Indian Air Force.
Additionally, GE Aerospace said that over 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally.
According to the joint statement, both leaders hailed the signing of the MoU for the manufacture of GE F414 jet engines in India for HAL's Light Combat Aircraft Mk 2.
This trailblazing initiative to manufacture F-414 engines in India will enable a greater transfer of US jet engine technology than ever before.
Moving to the space sector, the two leaders welcomed the decision of NASA and ISRO to develop a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation by the end of 2023. The leaders hailed the announcement by NASA to provide advanced training to Indian astronauts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to mount a joint effort at the International Space Station in 2024.
They further celebrated the delivery of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite to ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, India, and looked forward to NISAR's 2024 launch from India.
India is the ninth largest trading partner for the US, while the US is India's largest trading partner and the largest export destination, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Furthermore, PM Modi and Joe Biden affirmed the intention of the two governments, as trusted partners, to work together to ensure that their respective markets are well-supplied with the essential critical minerals needed to achieve climate, economic and strategic technology cooperation goals.
Later, US President Biden visited India to attend the 18th G20 Summit held on September 9-10, marking his first visit to India as a US President. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepen and diversify the India-US Major Defence Partnership through expanded cooperation in new and emerging domains such as space and AI, and accelerated defence industrial collaboration.
Meanwhile, during the G20 Summit, India, the US, Saudi Arabia and the European Union announced a historic agreement to launch a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor.
The announcement made by PM Modi was flanked by US President Biden, Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and leaders of the EU.
Speaking after the launch, PM Modi said, "I cordially welcome you all at this event. I am very happy to co-chair this event with my friend, President Joe Biden. Today we have all seen the conclusion of a historic and important agreement. In the coming days, it will be an effective medium of economic integration between India, South Asia, and Europe."
During the G20 Summit, India and the US also settled the seventh and last outstanding World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute over poultry products.
Notably, the six previous disputes were resolved during PM Modi's state visit to the US.
President Biden also lauded India's G20 Presidency for further demonstrating how the G20 as a forum is delivering important outcomes.
PM Modi and President Biden, during the bilateral meeting held in New Delhi, reaffirmed the importance of the Quad in supporting a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific.
Furthermore, PM Modi looked forward to welcoming President Biden to the next Quad Leaders' Summit to be hosted by India in 2024.
India also welcomed the US decision to co-lead the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Pillar on Trade Connectivity and Maritime Transport, further to the US decision to join IPOI in June 2023.
Moreover, in a move to further boost their relations, India and the US have also joined forces to launch as many as 10,000 electric buses on the streets of India, bringing about a significant transformation in India's public transportation system.
Further shedding a light on Indo-Pacific security, US Defence and State Department officials co-chaired the seventh 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue with their Indian counterparts on September 26 and laid their emphasis on the transformative momentum in US-India ties and reiterated the need to uphold security in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Pentagon.
The officials underscored the transformative momentum in US-India relations and reaffirmed that a strong US-India partnership is essential to upholding security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue advanced a wide range of ambitious initiatives across the breadth of the US-India partnership, including defence and security, emerging technologies, people-to-people ties, clean energy, and supply chain resilience.
Later in November, the US in a fact sheet said that the US-India relationship is one of the "most strategic and consequential" of the 21st century.
To further hold discussions on the Indo-Pacific region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin visited India, held discussions with PM Modi on November 11 and discussed India-US relations and their efforts to promote an open and secure Indo-Pacific region.
Blinken and Austin were in India for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, held in New Delhi.
PM Modi, after meeting US Secretary Antony Blinken, stated that the '2+2' format is a key enabler for further strengthening the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Moreover, India and the US are promoting a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific by strengthening the partnership through QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) with Japan and Australia.
Calling the India-US partnership a "force" for the "global good," PM Modi said that the mutually beneficial cooperation between New Delhi and Washington is underpinned by their shared belief in democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law.
Moreover, the personal bond between the two leaders has resulted in India-US relations becoming increasingly multi-faceted, covering cooperation in areas such as trade, defence and security, education, science and technology, civil nuclear energy, space technology and applications, environment, and health.
Grassroot-level interactions between the people of the two nations provide further vitality and strength to this bilateral relationship. There have been regular contacts at political and official levels, and a wide-ranging dialogue on bilateral, regional and global issues has taken place. (ANI)
