Modi’s US trip concludes: Key things PM said on his first state visit

At a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House, PM Modi declared that the partnership between India and the US would know no bounds. At the press conference where the leaders took questions from one reporter from each side, Biden by his side, PM Modi said Thursday that “democracy is in our DNA”, and “there is absolutely no question of discrimination” regardless of “caste, creed, religion and gender”. He was responding to a journalist’s question about what steps his government is willing to take to improve the rights of minorities in India and to uphold free speech.

During his address to the US Congress, Modi recalled the “deeply disruptive developments” in the last few years. “With the Ukraine conflict, war has returned to Europe that is causing great pain in the region… countries of the Global South have been particularly affected. The global order is based on respect for the principle of the UN charter, peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“I have said directly and publicly, this is not an era of war,” he said, recalling his words to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy and we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering”. He also took on China, as he said, “The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific. The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership.”

When asked about discrimination against Muslims in India by American reporters at a presser, PM Modi expressed surprise at the query and asserted that there is "no question" of discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, or religion in India as it is a democracy.

In an almost one hour speech to the US Congress, he said, “I can relate to the battles of pressure, persuasion and policy. I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I'm delighted to see you come together today to celebrate the bond between the world's two great democracies. India and the United States." “There will be and there must be a contest of ideas at home. But we must also come together as one when we speak for our nation,” he said, in what could be seen as an oblique reference to Rahul Gandhi’s statements overseas.

During his address to US Congress, Modi lauded women in India. “Today in modern India, women are leading us to a better future…Today women serve our country in the Army, Navy and Air Force. India also had the highest percentage of women airline pilots in the world and they have also put us on Mars by leading our Mars vision.. I believe that investing in a girl child lifts the entire family, empowering women to transform the nation,” he said.

Modi also said there can be "no ifs or buts" in dealing with terrorism and sought action against state sponsors of terrorism, in a veiled attack on Pakistan.

He said that more than two decades after 9/11 and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, radicalism and terrorism still remain a pressing danger for the whole world.

"These ideologies keep taking new identities and forms, but their intentions are the same. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror," Modi said in his 60-minute address in English.

Modi also met tech leaders in the US ranging from Apple's CEO Tim Cook to Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

He said, "The governments of India and the US have done the groundwork for you." "Now you have the responsibility to play and prosper on this ground. The one who plays will prosper," he added.

Modi also met several business and thought leaders like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. He also met with experts in healthcare, tech and education sectors and discussed the National Education policy, tuberculosis elimination efforts and policymaking, among other topics. "Great meeting you today @elonmusk! We had multifaceted conversations on issues ranging from energy to spirituality," Modi tweeted after meeting Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Modi thanked US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting the state dinner in his honour at the White House. "I extend my heartfelt appreciation to US President Joe Biden for hosting this remarkable dinner today. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to First Lady Jill Biden for her exceptional hospitality and diligent efforts in ensuring the success of my visit."

"With every passing day, Indians and Americans are getting to know each other better. We can pronounce each other's name correctly, we can understand each other's accent better... Children in India become Spider-Man on Halloween and America's youth is dancing to the tunes of 'Naatu Naatu'," he added.

While addressing Indian diaspora before leaving to Egypt, he said, “It has been decided that now, renewal of H1B Visa will not require one to move out of America. A pilot project in this regard will be started soon. This will help thousands of IT sector employees here." He added that this will soon apply to L visas as well.

“The partnership between India and the United States will make the world better in the 21st Century. You all play a crucial role in this partnership,” said Modi at Ronald Reagan Center, Washington. “The biggest driving force of India’s growth story is the aspiration of the Indian people, which is not very different from the American dream,” said the PM, adding that “extreme poverty is fast diminishing in India, while the middle-class and neo-middle class are rapidly expanding.”