Indian premier cultivating Silicon Valley connections
Silicon Valley, a favorite stop for American politicians, especially those with their hands out, is hosting India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, this weekend. It’s the first visit to California by an Indian head of state in 33 years.
Modi, elected in 2014, has pledged to modernize India and boost its economy, especially in the digital realm. While the prime minister isn’t on a fundraising trip, he hopes to strengthen connections with the technology community and enlist its help in his Digital India initiative, which seeks to bring Internet access to the entire nation, increase the number of technology jobs and modernize and streamline government.
The prime minister expects to pack a lot into his two days in Silicon Valley, home to many Indian American residents, technology workers and entrepreneurs.
He was scheduled to tour the Tesla factory in Fremont, visit Google’s headquarters in Mountain View and meet with CEO Sundar Pichai, an Indian native. In a recorded video welcome to Modi, he spoke of Indians’ influence on the technology revolution and the role big tech companies can play in transforming India.
“There is no more important role for tech companies today than helping to connect the next billion Internet users,” he said.
Modi was to sit down for dinner with a host of Silicon Valley movers and shakers Saturday night, then visit Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters for a questionand-answer session with CEO Mark Zuckerberg that will be televised in India.
The biggest event, at least in terms of numbers, is what’s billed as a community reception at 5 p.m. Sunday at the SAP Center in San Jose. About 18,000 people are expected to fill the venue to welcome Modi to the Bay Area and hear him speak. Several members of Congress, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, are expected to attend.
More than 50,000 people applied to get tickets to the free event, and organizers had to carefully pick and choose who could get inside. Those who can’t are expected to gather at a festival outside the arena.
“People are very excited,” said Rakhi Israni, a spokeswoman for Indo American Community of West Coast USA, which is organizing the event. “A lot of Indians, even though they love America, still consider India home.”