Narendra Modi has arrived in the US for a state visit that will underscore the deepening of US-India relations in recent years, secured by rising defence and technology co-operation and the shared goal of countering China.Modi is due to lead an event at the UN in New York on Wednesday marking International Day of Yoga before travelling to Washington, where he will address a joint session of Congress on Thursday and attend a state banquet at the White House. On Friday, he will have lunch with secretary of state Antony Blinken and sign a number of defence and business deals.
The Indian prime minister got off to a quick start, meeting Tesla chief Elon Musk, who said Modi was “pushing” for “significant investments in India”. Musk said the electric-car manufacturer would “be in India . . . as soon as humanly possible”.
Modi has visited the US five times since he took office in 2014, according to the US state department, but his first fully fledged state visit marks a significant warming of relations between Washington and New Delhi, which were revived under former president George W Bush.