Modi’s visit to America: The warmth of relations will change the picture

There have been discussions and agreements with India and America on defense, space and other areas. On the other hand, very important agreements have been signed with Egypt in other fields including agriculture. Prime Minister Modi reached America and held bilateral talks with President Joe Biden.

This was his first state visit, in which India and the US have signed several agreements on mutual commerce, technology transfer, semiconductor deals, 5G and 6G telecommunications and open source based telecommunication networks, quantum and advanced computing technology promotion. The most important deal between India and America was in the defense sector.

A memorandum of understanding (MoA) has been signed between the American company General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This will lead to much awaited development in the defense sector. With this agreement, India will be able to get the most advanced jet engine technology from America. Joint manufacturing of jet engine F 414 will benefit both the countries.

long term results expected

Under the agreements, US-based computer memory chip maker Micron Technology will set up its semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Gujarat with a total investment of $2.75 billion (Rs 22,540 crore). 60,000 Indian engineers to be trained to accelerate semiconductor education and workforce development in India.

An investment of US$ 400 million will be made to set up a collaborative engineering centre. The agreement to get state-of-the-art jet engine technology from America to India is being considered historic. The F414 engine will power India’s next generation Tejas II. The Biden administration has also announced that it will make it easier for Indian workers to obtain and renew US visas.

space sector and unmanned aircraft

India and the US have signed a deal for 31 ‘High Altitude Long Endurance’ (HALE) drones, of which the Navy will get 15 SeaGuardian drones, while the Army and the Indian Air Force will get eight land variant SkyGuardian drones each. With India’s Ministry of Defense limiting the deal to buying only 18 drones, the cost of each drone was expected to increase.

This would have made the deal costlier than the existing 31 drones. Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had visited India earlier this month. The agreement is about supply chains, deeper cooperation between the US and Indian defense industry, ‘security of supply chain’ and a ‘reciprocal defense procurement arrangement’.

On the other hand, India-US has also announced a joint astronaut mission for 2024. India has decided to join the Artemis pact and the US space agency NASA (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have agreed to send a joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024. The Artemis Alliance brings together like-minded countries on civil space exploration.

dynamic relationship

After meeting Modi in the US, Biden said that the relationship with the world’s most populous country India is the strongest in history, both have come close to each other, and have become dynamic. This talk of Biden is not an exaggeration. According to experts, it has become clear from this visit that there has been a change in relations. Relationships have deepened in a short span of time.

The main reason for this is that America is bringing India closer to balance the deteriorating relations with China and at the same time trying to strengthen its hold in the Indo-Pacific region. Relations between India and America have not lived up to expectations in the recent past.

After a landmark nuclear deal in 2005, Indo-US relations did not live up to its promises, as three years later India passed a law that hindered the purchase of the plants. After this, in the second term of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, there was a lack of commitment in the relationship. Warmth is visible more during Modi’s tenure.

Egypt tour

In January 2023, Egyptian President Abdel Fateh al-Sisi extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi reached Egypt’s capital Cairo from Washington on June 24 at the invitation of President Fateh. He met President Abdel Fattah. Modi invited the President of Egypt for the G-20 summit.

President Fateh conferred the country’s highest state honor on PM Modi in Cairo. Four important agreements were signed during the visit to Egypt. A strategic partnership was signed between the two countries. Apart from this, MoU was also signed regarding the protection and conservation of agriculture sector, monuments.

what do experts say

The message you get (on Modi’s visit to Washington) from the US government is that they attach utmost importance to the relationship. At the strategic level, we have moved to the level of collaboration with joint manufacturing and joint R&D to create state-of-the-art equipment in our defense industries.
Harsh Vardhan ShringlaFormer Foreign Secretary.

The armies of both the countries are working together. There is now an agreement between the two that they can use each other’s facilities for refueling of warships. Both are conducting joint exercises and sharing intelligence more than ever before. This is the success of India’s diplomatic exercise.
TCA Raghavan, Former diplomat.