Modi’s state visit

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi’s first state visit, the highest level of diplomatic reception, signals a new urgency in the US-India relationship. President Joe Biden’s closest aides have spoken with unusual clarity in the run-up to the three-day trip, terming it a springboard to set new benchmarks in defence-industrial cooperation. The projection runs counter to the institutionalised hesitation within the US bureaucracy when it comes to dealing with India. Beyond the hype, for the two leaders, a measure of real success would be longer-term outcomes. As they set out to shift gears in commercial and defence ties, greater trust and strengthened cooperation would be the key markers.

New Delhi would expect a partnership of equals going forward, a strategic engagement that is sensitive to its concerns and recognises its threat perceptions. Creating a consultative mechanism for dealing jointly with the new global realities remains the foremost challenge. The invitation to the Prime Minister to address the joint session of Congress, making him the first Indian premier to do so twice, celebrates the enduring friendship between the two countries. It’s another matter that the speech will be scrutinised for India’s stand on Russia and China.

Washington courting India is widely seen in the context of striking defence deals and as a potential counter to China. A jet engine manufacturing pact which can prove transformational to Indian airspace industry is anticipated, along with elevation of the strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy and space. Also, the visit’s electoral impact is difficult to ignore. Diaspora diplomacy has been Prime Minister Modi’s key political strategy, and global grandstanding is actively pursued. The electoral heft of Indian-Americans is not lost on the hosts too. With a population of nearly 50 lakh, they are the USA’s second-largest immigrant group and the fastest-growing voting bloc.