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

Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking Indian culture and traditions to the global stage with the help of International Yoga Day, celebrated across the world on June 21, union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said PM Modi had elevated Indian culture.

Ahead of Yoga day, PM Modi said “Yoga holds profound benefits for both body and mind, fostering strength, flexibility, and tranquillity. Let us make Yoga a part of our lives and further wellness as well as peace…"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday begin his US trip by leading a unique yoga session on Wednesday in a historic celebration to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters.

For Biden, India offers a diplomatic and military counterbalance to China’s power in the region, at a time when the US is distancing itself from its biggest trade partner and the world’s manufacturing powerhouse. Both nations see Beijing as a threat, with Biden expanding Trump-era export curbs to China and Modi’s government banning hundreds of Chinese apps in the wake of a border clash that left 20 Indian soldiers dead in 2020.

The June 20-24 visit will be Modi's sixth to the United States as India's PM, but his first official state visit to the country.

Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar, on PM Modi's scheduled address at the US Congress, said that “I expect him (PM Modi) to propose collaboration in defence, space, technology. I hope he speaks about Chinese aggression and Russian aggression against a sovereign democratic country like Ukraine.”

On Tuesday morning, prime minister Narendra Modi left for the United States on his maiden ‘state visit’ to the country after being invited by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. This is only the third state visit by an Indian leader to the US, the first two coming in June 1963 (President S Radhakrishnan) and November 2009 (PM Manmohan Singh).

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' message of peace ahead of International Yoga Day on June 21. Guterres called yoga an 'ancient practise," as its origins can be traced to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday that his visit to the US will reinforce bilateral relations based on the shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom between India and US. Read full story here.

On Ukraine conflict, PM Modi told WSJ that "India will do whatever it can" and supports “all genuine efforts to bring an end to the conflict and ensure enduring peace and stability.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, that India stands on the side of peace, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. ""Some people say that we are neutral. But we are not neutral. We are on the side of peace," he said. On not taking a more forceful stance against Russia in the conflict with Ukraine, PM Modi said, "I don't think this type of perception is widespread in the US."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet with Tesla CEO Elon Musk during his visit to the US. The purpose of the meeting is to encourage Tesla to manufacture electric cars in India, as the country seeks to position itself as an alternative destination for companies looking to reduce their reliance on China, bloomberg reported. Musk’s business interests in India include his satellite internet firm Starlink, which so far hasn’t been able to make headway in the South Asian nation, and social media platform Twitter.

Ahead of International Yoga Day, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the United Nations (UN) said on Tuesday that yoga serves as a unifying force, bringing together not only the body and mind but also millions of individuals worldwide.

Swasti Rao, Associate Fellow at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, Europe and Eurasia Centre, speaks to PTI about possible outcomes of PM Modi's US visit. She said, “Everything is hinging upon that one big project that will provide this quantum leap, because if you go back to 2005, it was a watershed moment where you had India signing a civil cooperation movement with the US which really set the tone for the coming decade.”

Indian Diaspora in US excited for PM Modi's visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is, on many counts, a curious choice for President Joe Biden to honor with a state visit.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine 16 months ago, India has boosted its economy by purchasing increasing quantities of cheap Russian oil.

Human rights groups and political opponents have accused Modi of stifling dissent and introducing divisive policies that discriminate against Muslims and other minorities. And India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, has espoused a worldview in which there are no allies or friends, only “frenemies.”

(AP)

 "Last year, after India took initiative for millets, I cooked a variety of millet-based dishes like millet cutlet, millet salad, dosa, uttapam, and millet desserts, and the response was good," chef and owner of New-York based restaurant SAAR, Hemant Mathur tells PTI.

"We have seen everywhere PM Modi goes, a person, who doesn't know much about India, knows that (Narendra) Modi is the Prime Minister of India," Indian-American businessman Ashok Sancheti tells PTI about excitement among people over PM Modi's visit to the US.

PM Modi said ties between New Delhi and Washington are stronger and deeper than ever as he left for US today. There is an "unprecedented trust" between the leaders of the US and India, he said.

PM Modi called for changes to global bodies like the UN to adapt for an increasingly “multipolar world order”. He demanded that they be more representative of the world's less-affluent countries, the Wall Street Journal said.

UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp said that "The UN is very excited to have PM Modi coming to the iconic UN building in New York and leading a global session for International Yoga Day tomorrow. PM Modi will be leading the celebrations of International Yoga Day at the North Lawn of UN headquarters on June 21.

PM Modi's visit comes amid differences in the positions of Washington and New Delhi over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mary Millben who is a celebrated African-American singer, will perform during Modi's events in New York and Washington.

Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark Tuesday weighed on including India as a member of the United Nations Security Council ahead of PM Modi's US visit. “The (UN) Security Council is outdated as it reflects the 1945 post-war settlement when many countries like India were under colonial rule. It needs to be expanded with its current membership and should include India,” Clark said on India’s candidature for 2028-29 UNSC term.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet over two dozen thought leaders from various walks of life during his US visit. The list includes Tesla and Twitter owner Elon Musk among others.