The red carpet has been laid out on the tarmac, and the silverware is ready as Washington gears up to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi on what is set to be his first state visit to the US, months ahead of the general election back home.
PM Modi, whose party has plunged head-first into an election year, is visiting New York and Washington at a time when the geopolitical order is in a flux. The war in Ukraine continues with no end in sight, China-US ties have never been so fraught and New Delhi has on its hands an unprecedented window of opportunity to cement its ties with Washington.
During his three-day visit, PM Modi will be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a State Dinner at the White House followed by his address to a Joint Sitting of the US Congress. As is the norm during all of his visits abroad, PM Modi will also interact with members of the Indian diaspora, leaders of industry and other key stakeholders.
One look at PM Modi’s itinerary makes it evident that India has successfully positioned itself as a key “global strategic” partner of the US. But the real story lies in how nine years of Modi’s government — characterised by massive infrastructural growth, red-letter economic reforms, and a nationwide digitisation drive — have put India in a pole position.
Like India’s growth story, PM Modi’s personal popularity too is not limited by borders. In September 2021, The Morning Consult found that Modi had an approval rating of 70 per cent — highest among 13 global leaders polled at the time including Biden, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then Brazilian premier Jair Bolsonaro.
One can also not discount that PM Modi single handedly changed the political landscape in India by bringing development to the forefront, coupled with his unwavering determination to deliver on the promises he made to voters.
His government’s emphasis on promoting entrepreneurship, improving ease of doing business and empowering India’s women workforce has earned PM Modi praise both in India and abroad.
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The Indian-American’s power
Through his various engagements abroad, PM Modi has managed to galvanise the Indian diaspora around the world by giving them the confidence to assert their ‘desi’ identity without fear of embarrassment or ostracisation.
In the US, the impact of the Modi years on the Indian diaspora has been pronounced. Indians living in the US no longer see their country of origin as one reeling under its post-colonial legacy. They see India as a radically more market-friendly economy than it was when socialism was in fashion — although the transition had begun during the Manmohan Singh years.
Moreover, Indians have dominated multiple spheres of the US economy — be it tech, medicine, Wall Street or entertainment. Indian naan bread and Chicken Tikka find as many takers in the US as they do back home. This, and more, reflects a shift in cultural ties between the two countries that have taken decades to crystallise, evident in increased people-to-people contact. Something that cannot be said for India’s northern neighbour.
Indian-Americans are now more assertive about their ‘desi’ identity. They take great pride in how their country of origin has come a long way over the past three decades since the landmark economic reforms of 1991.
These Americans of Indian origin have rightfully emerged as drivers of growth in the US and continue to lead some of the biggest corporate giants — Google, Microsoft, YouTube, Arista Networks and Zscaler, to name a few. Ajay Banga’s appointment as president of the World Bank only reinforces the idea that Indians and those of Indian-origin are at the top of their game, winning the confidence of the world and acting as ambassadors of India and its growing clout.
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Window of opportunity for India
For New Delhi, PM Modi’s visit to the US presents a unique opportunity to strengthen its ties with Washington, given that India-US ties have never been stronger.
It is also no secret that America is leaving no stone unturned in amping up its presence in the Indo-Pacific. When Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited India in March this year, he picked an autorickshaw to be his preferred mode of transport for an event at the US Embassy in New Delhi.
Ever since he assumed charge as the Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti has been touring the country, relishing dosas and coconut water, visiting temples, meeting actors and chief ministers. The intent seems clear—the US wants to take its message about partnership with India beyond the corridors of power and spread it among the people to win public perception in its favour.
This also shows that Washington has realised the importance of India in a geopolitical order in which China has established its imposing presence by wielding the scepter of economic domination.
As for India, the task at hand is gargantuan — how to leverage the momentum generated by PM Modi’s persona and India’s coveted consumer sector to strengthen bilateral ties with the US where support for India has more or less turned into a bipartisan agenda, irrespective of whether a Democrat or a Republican occupies the Oval Office. When Barack Obama left office and Donald Trump took over, a decision was taken to continue the hotline set up between the leaders of both countries in 2015.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two governments have more than 50 bilateral dialogue mechanisms and now conduct “more bilateral exercises with each other than they do with any other country”.
And the BJP-led government’s push for a digital economy and pivot towards market-friendly policies and tax structures has furthered India’s cause. This is perhaps why efforts are also underway in full swing by both countries to enhance their strategic technology and defense partnership.
This partnership, if nurtured with care, has the potential not just to reinvigorate American markets but to also change the lives of millions of Indians for the better.
Asha Jadeja is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist and a ‘change agent.’ She tweets @ashajadeja325. Views are personal.
The article is sponsored by the Motwani Jadeja Foundation.