Modi’s US Visit: With Focus on Defence Industrial Production Roadmap, PM to Meet Top CEOs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has left for the US for an official state visit Tuesday morning, is expected to meet several top CEOs including Google’s Sundar Pichai, General Electronics’ H. Lawrence Culp Jr, Amazon’s Andy Jessy and Tesla co-founder Elon Musk on June 20, 21 and 23.

Some of the top CEOs from IT, telecom, FMCG and logistics that PM Modi will meet include Sanjay Malhotra, CEO, Micron Tech, General Electric CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr, Applied Materials CEO Garry E. Dickerson and Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun.

“Defence industrial production roadmap would be one of the key outcomes which addresses co-development and co-production. The defence industrial roadmap would pave the way for closer supply line and production linkages between India and US”, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

Moreover, India and US will sign a government-to-government deal for co-production of jets by GE and HAL, 31 Predator Drones from General Atomics and other agreements for supply chain cooperation, according to CNBCTV18.

The PM will also meet over two dozen thought leaders, including Nobel laureates, economists, artists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academicians, health sector experts, and many more in New York on June 21.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the joint session of the US Congress on June 22.

Modi’s invitation to address a joint session of Congress makes him one of the few world leaders to have been offered the chance on two different occasions. “Delighted and honoured” that Modi is set to visit the United States, said USISPF president Mukesh Aghi. “This historic and important state visit sends a strong message that the US-India relationship is critical and pivotal and the most defining partnership of the 21st century.”

Modi’s state visit will reaffirm the strength of the strategic partnership and cement relations between the two countries in defence, energy, healthcare, technology, and education.

The PM will be leading the foreign dignitaries and bureaucrats in a session for the International Yoga Day on June 21 at United Nation’s Secretariat in New York.