Modi in US day 1 highlights | Tesla's Elon Musk meets PM, hints at ‘significant’ investments in India

LIVE updates on Day 2 of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US here 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake the following engagements on Day 2 of his state visit to US:

• Leading the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UN headquarters.
• Departing for Washington DC and accompanied by US First Lady Jill Biden, visiting the National Science Foundation.
• Attending a media preview for the state dinner hosted by US First Lady Jill Biden.
• Being received by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House.
• Engaging in a private meeting at the White House.
• Being hosted by US President Biden and First Lady Jill for an intimate dinner at the White House.

• PM Modi arrived at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York earlier today received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora at the Hotel Lotte.
• Modi met Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk who said he is a “fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” saying he “really wants to do the right thing for India.” Musk said the Indian prime minister really cares about India as he's pushing Tesla to make significant investments in the country.
• Modi met American billionaire investor Ray Dalio, who called him a “radical reformer”. PM Modi said that he urged his “friend” Ray Dalio to deepen investments in India.
• PM Modi also met a group of leading experts from the health sector, industry, entrepreneurial world, technology, economy and others in New York on Tuesday (local time) and held relevant discussions with them.

Following the Yoga Day program at United Nations headquarters, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Washington DC, where he is scheduled to participate in a background briefing conducted by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu. Subsequently, he will engage in a cultural event at Freedom Plaza before departing to Virginia from Joint Base Andrews, located in Washington DC.

On the second day of his state visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will commence by attending the Yoga Day event at the United Nations headquarters. Later in the day, First Lady Jill Biden will host PM Modi at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria for an event that will showcase career-connected learning and workforce training programs. Here is a preview of Day 2.

Following his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York, American billionaire investor Ray Dalio described him as a "radical reformer" and expressed his belief that India, under PM Modi's leadership, is at a "crucial juncture" with numerous opportunities ahead.

In a tweet highlighting their interaction, PM Modi stated that he encouraged his "friend" Ray Dalio to further enhance investments in India.

Union minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who is on a State visit to the United States - leading the Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters symbolises “India's growing strength and increasing relevance on the world stage.”

Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) on Wednesday fly a 250-feet-long banner over the Hudson River, in New York to welcome prime minister Narendra Modi for his first four-day state visit to the United States. Read more

The official State visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US showcases the strength and resilience of the India-US partnership, according to an official from the previous Trump administration.

Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Programme at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think-tank, said on Tuesday that the visit also underscores the importance that the Biden administration attaches to New Delhi’s role in challenging China’s rise in the region.

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House this week will showcase the strength and resilience of the US-India partnership and the importance the Biden administration attaches to India’s role in challenging China’s rise in the region,” she said. (PTI)

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to lead a yoga session in a historic celebration to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters that will saw participation from top UN officials, envoys from across and the world and prominent individuals.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event held at Noida Indoor Stadium where she performed yoga this morning, the Minister said, "This is a moment of pride for all Indians on the occasion of International Yoga Day as our 'pradhan sevak' (prime servant) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading India's heritage and development through the practice of Yoga at UN Headquarters today." (ANI)

Asking President Joe Biden to strengthen India-America ties but also talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit about India’s recent democratic record, 75 United States (US) Senators and Congressional representatives of the Democratic Party have written a letter to Biden outlining their areas of concern. Read more

Prime Minister Modi's power-packed State visit will witness him joining President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for State dinner, address the joint session of US Congress, celebrate International Yoga Day at the UN headquarters and interaction with thought leaders as well the Indian diaspora. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New York on Tuesday afternoon eastern time (late Tuesday night IST) to reinforce what he termed ties “based on shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom” between India and the US, and to address the “shared global challenges” of the two countries. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with prominent personalities including thought leaders, academicians, entrepreneurs including billionaire Elon Musk and astrophysicist Neil De Grasse Tyson. He also met with think tank and health experts groups. Read more

American businesses are looking at India as a place where they can diversify their supply chains, an influential US lawmaker has said on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden state visit at the invitation of President Joe Biden.

India and the US have an enormous ability to cooperate on technology and innovation, and this is partly because of the diaspora, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said on Tuesday in his keynote address to the inaugural INDUS-X conference.

Wednesday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off with a group yoga session on the United Nations' north lawn. UN General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and many other diplomats and UN officials are expected to attend the event.

The American economist and policy entrepreneur and PM Modi talked about the importance of successful urban development. “A good day is when I learn something and I learnt a bunch what India is doing. India can show the way to the World on authentication front by programs like Aadhaar. PM articulated it very well. That urbanisation is not a problem. It’s an opportunity. I take this as a slogan,” he said.

PM met a group of experts from the think-tank space today and discussed geopolitics, global economic situation, terrorism and more. He met:

Michael Froman, Daniel Russel, Max Abrahms, Jeff M. Smith, Elbridge Colby and Guru Sowle. Among academicians, PM Modi met Rattan Lal, Neeli Bendapudi, Pradeep Khosla, Satish Tripathi, Chandrika Tandon, Jagmohan Raju, Madhav V. Rajan andAnurag Mairal.

Union minister Piyush Goyal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the International Yoga Day at the United Nations headquarters ‘symbolises India’s growing strength'.

"Our beloved PM will be leading the Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters, it symbolises India's growing strength, increasing relevance on the world stage...," Goyal said.

As part of the Official State Visit to the United States, First Lady Jill Biden will host His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, for an event highlighting career-connected learning and workforce training programs. Read more

India will be a critical strategic partner for the US in the coming decades, the White House said and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to the country will affirm the deep and close partnership between the two nations.

Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, who will host him at a State Dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address by the prime minister to the joint session of the US Congress on June 22.

After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, American investor Ray Dalio explained how India could bank on its growing popularity.

“PM Narendra Modi is a man whose time has come when India’s time has come. The potential of India is enormous and you have now a reformer who has the ability to transform and the popularity to transform. India and PM Modi are at a juncture in which a lot of opportunities will be created,” he said.

“Yoga has become a global spirit. Crores of people across the world doing Yoga with theme of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (world is one family),” says PM Modi in his message on International Yoga Day ahead of the special event at UN headquarters.

Atul Keshap, US-India Business Council (USIBC) President, says "We are trying to help the US and India develop the strongest possible defence ties for our shared prosperity of the two countries. The state visit of PM Modi is the strategic, economic and technological convergence of the United States and India. I am really excited about this and I think that PM Modi and President Biden have shown real leadership in taking our countries to the next great level."