This Modi visit to US will go much further than optics

In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked hand-in-hand with then-President Donald Trump at Houston’s NRG Stadium, addressing a rapturous crowd of 50,000 Indian-Americans at the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event.

It was a spectacle rarely seen in global diplomacy. For many, it symbolized the growing kinship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, a relationship driven as much by people-to-people connections as by geopolitical necessity.

As Modi returns to Washington, the stakes are higher. This visit is not just a diplomatic handshake; it’s a chance to elevate India-US ties into one of the most consequential global partnerships of the 21^st century.

“The fact that the Prime Minister has been invited to visit the US within barely three weeks of the new administration taking office shows the importance of the India-US partnership and is also reflective of the bipartisan support this partnership enjoys in the US,” India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said.

For the record, Modi became the first Indian prime minister to address the joint session of the US Congress twice when he gave an hour-long address to American lawmakers in 2023.

The India-US relationship has come a long way from the frostiness of the Cold War era. Back then, India’s non-aligned stance and close ties with the Soviet Union stood at odds with American strategic interests. Today, as the global order evolves, both recognize the strategic imperative and importance of working together, not just bilaterally, but on broader regional and global challenges.

Trade and investment have become the backbone of this relationship. In FY24, bilateral trade between India and the US stood at a record $118.2 billion. Amazon, Google, and Tesla are betting big on India’s burgeoning digital economy, while Infosys and Tata Group have created hundreds of thousands of jobs across the US.

Defense ties have grown just as robust. The US is now one of India’s top defense partners. Joint military exercises are frequent, and strategic agreements like the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement have enhanced interoperability between the two militaries.

Technology cooperation could take center stage during Modi’s visit, particularly under the recently launched Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). This initiative aims to foster innovation in areas such as semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, and space exploration. Given the importance of technological dominance in global geopolitics, this cooperation could be pivotal.

This relationship is about more than strategic interests. From defense collaboration to economic realignments, Modi’s visit to the US will surely aim to strengthen and solidify India’s role as a crucial partner in the US’s Indo-Pacific and global strategy.

No relationship of this scale is without its challenges. Trade disputes, visa policies, and differing approaches to global conflicts have caused friction in the past. However, both nations have shown a remarkable ability to compartmentalize these differences and focus on the bigger picture — building a resilient and forward-looking partnership.

This Modi visit is not about flashy optics or symbolic gestures; it’s about substance. It’s about charting a future where India and the US collaborate not just for mutual benefit but for global stability, prosperity, and innovation.