Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to the US, beginning on Wednesday is expected to be a turning point in the two countries' ties. A major emphasis of his trip will be expanding military industry collaboration and exchanging cutting-edge technologies. The visit is anticipated to deepen a new connection that is supported by not just global politics but also commerce and economics by giving India access to crucial American technology that Washington seldom shares with non-allies. Since successive US presidents have shown bipartisan support for tighter connections with the burgeoning Asian economy and regional power, Washington and New Delhi, whose relationship was characterised by mutual hostility during the Cold War, have been becoming closer for more than two decades.
As the United States regards India as a crucial partner in its attempts to push back against China's rising influence internationally and enhance security in the Indo-Pacific, President Joe Biden has built on that heritage and extended relations. Additionally, Washington wants to wean India away from its longtime military ally, Russia. To the dismay of the West, New Delhi has expanded its purchases of cheap Russian oil in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine while continuing to conduct business with Moscow. As its own military tensions and relations with China deteriorated, the US Congress turned its attention west.
Despite the fact that PM Modi has already visited the US on several times, this would be the first state visit during Vice President Biden's administration to have the full diplomatic standing of an official state visit. It signals a change in our connection.It is a very important and necessary visit, said India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. According to Kwatra, since India aspires to enhance domestic manufacturing of weapons and equipment for both internal use and export, a significant achievement in the sphere of military cooperation, particularly between the armies of the two countries, would be emphasised.
JET ENGINES, DRONES, SEMICONDUCTORS
Major announcements are anticipated during Modi's visit, including U.S. approval for General Electric (GE.N) to manufacture engines in India for its fighter jets made domestically, India's $3 billion purchase of 31 armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones from General Atomics, and the removal of U.S. barriers that impede easier trade in defence and high technology. In the words of Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs, "people will look back on this visit by Prime Minister Modi as a real springboard for the US-India relationship, as it relates to defence issues in particular." According to him, the United States benefits from a stronger India that is able to protect its own interests and contribute to regional security. He also said that there is a desire to see India serve as a security exporter in the area.
The application of artificial intelligence in industrial and defence industries would also be considered, a senior Indian official said, along with cooperation in the areas of semiconductors, cybersecurity, aircraft, strategic infrastructure, and communication. President Biden will welcome Modi for a state supper and a private family meal during the three-day trip, which starts in New York on June 21. Modi will also have lunch with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and give his second speech to a joint session of Congress in 9 years. In addition, Modi will host an International Yoga Day event at the UN headquarters and meet with American CEOs. The relationship between India and the United States is fundamentally changing, according to C Raja Mohan, Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi.
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