President welcomes India’s prime minister
Glitz of visit is shadowed by concerns about human rights
President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are marking the state visit of the Indian leader on Thursday by launching new partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and more sectors as the leaders look to strengthen their countries’ crucial – albeit complicated – relationship.
Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the formal welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd – including many sari and shalwar kameez-clad members of the Indian diaspora – broke out in a chant of “Modi! Modi Modi.”
“I’ve long believed the relationship between the United States and India… will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century,” Biden said with Modi by his side.
But as Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president’s decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nineyear tenure over the world’s biggest democracy has been marked by a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms.
Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and enormous challenges posed by climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues.
Among the major announcements to be made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, according to senior Biden administration officials. The officials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity to preview the major agreements ahead of their formal announcement.
The Biden administration also is unveiling plans aimed at bolstering India’s semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India funding the rest. U