PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has visited the US six times in the past for bilateral and multi-lateral meetings; but his maiden State visit that began on June 22 has been epoch-making.
PM Modi also becomes the first Indian Prime Minister to address the joint session of the US Congress twice, joining the greats of world history like Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela.
Fittingly enough, the Prime Minister set out on his State visit after participating in celebration of the ninth International Yoga Day at the United Nations headquarters in New York to showcase India’s soft power to the entire world.
Transformed relations: The US visit of PM Modi is about celebrating the transformation of bilateral relations under the NDA Government as well as setting a more ambitious agenda for the future.
The Modi years have seen the emergence of the US as the most important and comprehensive strategic partner of India. The US is India’s largest trading partner, with commerce worth $190 billion flowing between the two nations.
Trade with China is also significant but Delhi’s deficit with Beijing has crossed $100 billion while India continues to enjoy a surplus with the US. And unlike Beijing, Washington is on India’s side when it comes to territorial integrity and terrorism. While China blocks India’s regional and global aspirations, the US actively supports Delhi’s major power ambitions.
Though Russia still dominates the Indian military inventory, the US has become an important supplier of weapons. It is offering to modernise India’s defence production and transfer advanced civilian and military technologies.
Indian diaspora: The five million-strong Indian diaspora in the US and its continuing rise in the US business and political spheres make Delhi’s relationship with Washington unique. Under PM Modi, India discarded its ‘historic hesitations’ in engaging the US over the last decade. PM Modi also found common ground with the US in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. Among the main pillars of cooperation and convergence of interest between the two countries is defence cooperation.
There is no doubt that the US is prioritising a deeper and stronger partnership with India as its ties with China continue to worsen. The Chinese expansionism and assertiveness have led to a congruence of strategic interests.
Global supply chain: But what is of significance is the US wanting to possibly shift its investments to India because it needs a partner to counter China for establishing an alternative global supply chain.
Analysts believe that the US is looking for a location for its manufacturing. Apple has been manufacturing in India and lot of other companies are also looking at the country from that perspective.
Blockbuster debut in London
NEW DELHI: An exciting weekend awaits London with Blitz India planning to host two mega events to launch the special issue of its online UK edition. While Friday, June 23, will witness a power-packed launch at the iconic House of Lords, another splendid function will be held the next day at the prestigious Royal Automobile Club.
The House of Lords launch, it may be mentioned, will be hosted from the platform of The Loomba Foundation’s commemoration event of the International Widows Day. Top personalities from the fields of business, politics, media and social circuit, from both India and Britain, will be present on both the occasions.
While India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta will be the Chief Guest, some of the prominent invitees include Vikram Doraiswami, India’s High Commissioner to the UK; business magnate and philanthropist Lord Swraj Paul; Loomba Foundation head Lord Raj Loomba; Hinduja Group Chairperson Gopichand Hinduja; Sulabh International Founder Bindeshwar Pathak; and Dr VK Raju, Founder President, Eye Foundation of America and the UK.
Deepak Dwivedi, Chairman & Editorin-Chief of Blitz India, said the London launch is part of the weekly newspaper’s global expansion plans. He said development journalism, which Blitz India has pioneered, “has been welcomed by the readers, encouraging us to spread our wings worldwide. London is the first destination.”
The 24-page blockbuster UK edition, which Blitz India launches in London, is a collector’s item in terms of its content, design and presentation.
