Instead of free trade agreement, India and US 'focusing on greater market access and ease of doing business'. Social security agreement on cards as PM Narendra Modi begins America visit.
When Modi's plane touched down in New York, TV reporters who had flown out for the state visit were thrilled. Arnab Goswami on Republic TV was screaming: 'The entire world is looking.'
When Narendra Modi and Joe Biden compliment each other as torchbearers of democracy and champions of global stability, they will be trading stock phrases bleached of meaning and substance.
Under protocol, state visits are only for foreign heads of state & not heads of government like PMs. To get around this, US has come up with another category: 'official state visit'.
Washington wants India to be a strategic counterweight to China while Modi is seeking to raise the influence that his country, now the world's most populous, has on the world stage.
The Prime Minister, on his historic state visit to the US, interacted with personalities such as investor Ray Dalio, Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has given ticket to a Hindu candidate for the first time and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has fielded two Hindus. Activists say they are simply paying lip service.
As Visakhapatnam readies a mega airport, the Andhra Pradesh government has revived its shelved Dagadarthi project, aiming to boost cargo and connectivity on the south coast.
The proposed project costing about Rs 3.25 lakh crore will entail procurement of 18 aircraft in fly away condition & the rest made in India with up to 60% indigenous content.
UK, EFTA already in the bag and EU on the way, many members of RCEP except China signed up, and even restrictions on China being lifted, India has changed its mind on trade.
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