Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in New York for a rare three-day state visit to the US, where his itinerary includes an address to the joint session of the US Congress and dinner with President Biden.
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“Landed in New York City. Looking forward to the programmes here including interaction with thought leaders and the Yoga Day programme tomorrow, 21st June,” the Prime Minister tweeted after landing.
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At the airport, he was seen shaking hands with a huge group of Indian expats who had gathered to welcome him.Outside his hotel, another crowd of expats has gathered. Many were seen holding impromptu dances to while away the time as they waited.
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From the airport, PM Modi will go to his hotel, after which he will hold a round of meetings with 24 thought leaders, including Nobel laureates, economists, artists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academicians, health sector experts, and others.
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The list includes Tesla founder Elon Musk who is looking to invest in India, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Grammy award-winning Indian-American singer Falu (Falguni Shah).
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The others include Senior Vice President of the World Bank Paul Romer, mathematical statistician Nicholas Nassim Taleb, American billionaire investor Ray Dalio, author Jeff Smith, Michael Froman, American physician, Nobel Laureate, and molecular biologist Dr Peter Agre and Grammy-nominated artist Chandrika Tandon.
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Besides the rare address to the joint session of the US Congress and dinner at the White House, the Prime Minister’s schedule will include meetings with business leaders and Indian expats.
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PM Modi is the third Indian to be invited for a state visit, seen as the highest form of expression of friendly ties and is reserved only for closest allies. A state visit involves an invitation by the Head of a State to his official residence – PM Modi is having a family dinner with the Bidens at the White House on Wednesday.
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Tomorrow morning, the Prime Minister would lead the yoga event at the UN building on the occasion of the World Yoga Day. On Friday, he will address a gathering of expat leaders from across US at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington.
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The visit indicates the deepening ties between the two nations in multiple fields and assumes further significance in view of the continuing war in Ukraine. PM Modi is the third world leader after France’s Emmanuel Macron and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol to be invited by President Biden for a state visit and dinner.
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The visit will throw a deep focus on defence and trade. There are hopes that General Electric may produce the cutting-edge GE-F414 jet engine in India, in a multi-million-dollar deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or HAL. The engine powers the F/A-18 Hornet, the US Navy’s go-to fighter.