Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits US, What to expect?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a three-day visit to the United States on Wednesday to address a meeting of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He will also participate in the QUAD Leaders' Summit and hold a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House during the trip. 

• What's the Story?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for the US on a three-day visit on Wednesday, with stops in Washington and New York. This is his first foreign trip since March last year when he visited Bangladesh. The US visit will mark PM Modi’s first foreign tour in six months and the first time when he will be visiting the country after President Joe Biden came in power. The visit will begin with Prime Minister Modi landing in Washington late on September 22.

“I will be visiting the USA from 22-25 September 2021 at the invitation of His Excellency President Joe Biden of the United States of America. During my visit, I will review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with President Biden and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the prime minister said.

“I am also looking forward to meeting Vice President Kamala Harris to explore opportunities for cooperation between our two nations particularly in the area of science and technology,” he said.

“I will also meet Prime Minister Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Suga of Japan to take stock of the strong bilateral relations with their respective countries and continue our useful exchanges on regional and global issues,” Modi said.

“My visit to the US would be an occasion to strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the USA, consolidate relations with our strategic partners — Japan and Australia — and to take forward our collaboration on important global issues,” he said in his departure statement.

“Prime Minister Modi is coming to the US from a position of strength,” Silicon Valley-based and Indiaspora founder M.R. Rangaswami told PTI in an interview. India under Mr. Modi, he said, has emerged as a strong economic power in the world. Companies are not only looking at it as an investment destination but also a large number of Indian startups are turning into unicorns, said Mr. Rangaswami.

“India’s economy is starting to boom. It’s a far cry from what it was two years ago. India’s economic strength now is coming into shape,” he said, reiterating that this is "going to be a golden decade" for entrepreneurship in India.

• What's Next?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit has a huge significance in the current scenario be it on the national level or international level. Key things which could emerge post this visit are India's stand on Taliban-led Afghanistan, Acceptability of India's vaccines on international travel, International business investment, and future of alternative fuels, etc.