Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for the United States on Tuesday morning — his first State visit to the country in nine years in office. “I am travelling to the United States of America on a State Visit at the invitation of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. This special invitation is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between our democracies,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister ahead of his departure read. The Prime Minister is expected to attend at least three meetings with US President Joe Biden in three days, including a private engagement and a State dinner, a lunch jointly hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a reception hosted by US Congressional leaders. In his statement Tuesday morning, PM Modi highlighted the “multifaceted” ties between the two countries. “My discussions with President Biden and other senior US leaders will provide an opportunity to consolidate our bilateral cooperation as well as in plurilateral forums such as G20, Quad and IPEF,” he wrote. “Strong people-to-people linkages have been instrumental in developing the trust between our countries. I look forward to meeting the vibrant Indian-American community that represents the best of our societies. I will also meet some of the leading CEOs to discuss opportunities for elevating our trade and investment relationship and for building resilient global supply chains,” the Prime Minister added. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Delhi for his first official State visit to the United States. He will attend Yoga Day celebrations at the UN HQ in New York and hold talks with US President Joe Biden & address to the Joint Session of the US Congress in… pic.twitter.com/y6avSoPpkd — ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2023 During Modi's visit, the two sides will continue working on a roadmap for cooperation between their respective defence industries to partner closely in co-production, co-development and maintaining supply change. Further, they will focus on strengthening trade and investment relations, and deeper ties in the technology domain comprising telecom, space and manufacturing. During his time in New York, Modi will be meeting Tesla and Twitter owner Elon Musk, according to news agency PTI. This comes a month after reports emerged of Tesla considering manufacturing plans in India and is no longer pressing with its earlier demand for first, lowering import duty on completely built units, which is at 100% for cars costing $40,000 and above. Find out more about Modi's US schedule here:
