PM Modi’s State Visit to US

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Key outcomes of the bilateral talks between Indian PM and President of USA
• PM Modi’s address to US Congress: Key takeaways

 

Why in news?

• During his first State visit to the US, PM Modi held bilateral talks with the US President Joe Biden.
• During this visit, PM Modi also addressed the joint session of the US Congress.

 

Key outcomes of the bilateral talks between Indian PM and President of USA

• Jet engine tech transfer
  • There was an announcement of a mega deal between the General Electric Aerospace and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the manufacture under licence in India of GE’s F414 engine.
    • This engine will be manufactured for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2.
  • This deal assumes significance as GE’s F414 military aircraft engine powers fighters like the Boeing Super Hornet and Saab Gripen.
  • The deal is expected to lead to transfer of at least 11 critical technologies to India.
  • This is the most crucial part as it marks the beginning of the end of the technology denial regime.
    • Over the years, India was deprived of critical technologies and it became acute in the 1960s through the 1990s.
• Inaugural session of an innovation platform called India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)
  • The Defence Ministries of the two countries also launched the inaugural session of an innovation platform, ‘INDUS-X’, in Washington DC on June 21.
  • Under the INDUS-X, Indian and American startups will now be able to co-develop and co-produce advanced technologies, including in areas of space artificial intelligence.
• Cooperation in Semiconductor manufacturing
  • U.S. semiconductor technology and chip maker Micron Technology, Inc said it would invest up to $825 million in a new chip assembly and test facility in Gujarat.
    • This investment would be bolstered by investment from the Indian government and Gujarat State government totalling $2.75 billion in all.
  • US firm Applied Materials will establish a new semiconductor centre for innovation.
• Other outcomes of the visit
  • A mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 “Reaper” armed drones by India;
  • A joint mission by the NASA and ISRO to the International Space Station in 2024;
  • Announcement regarding New Delhi joining the Artemis Accords.
• Addressing issues related to Visa delay
  • The U.S. has announced a pilot program to renew visas domestically (i.e., applicants do not have to travel outside to get their renewal stamp), for certain petition-based temporary workers.
    • This program could expand to cover H1b and L skilled visas by 2024 and to other categories eventually.
  • It will also open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India will reopen its consulate in Seattle, and announce new consulates elsewhere.
• PM Modi presented 5-point proposals for energising India-USA collaboration in education and research sector
  • Integrated approach bringing together government, industry and academia;
  • Encouraging exchange of Teachers & Students;
  • Organising Hackathons on various subjects between the two countries;
  • Mutual recognition of vocational skills qualifications; and
  • Encouraging visits of people associated with education and research.

 

PM Modi’s address to US Congress: Key takeaways

• In an almost one-hour speech to the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon a variety of themes. Few of them are highlighted below:
• The Indian American diaspora
  • He reached out to the Indian American diaspora while also conveying to the political class of the US about the value they bring to the table.
• The politics and the polarisation, but nation first
  • He highlighted that there could be differences within, but countries’ political class should speak in one voice, keeping the country’s interests first.
• A big shoutout to democracy and its value
  • Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse, democracy is a culture that gives wings to thoughts and expression.
  • India has been blessed to have such values since times immemorial. In the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the mother of democracy.
• Showcasing diversity
  • Talking about 2,500 political parties, 22 official languages, thousands of dialects, and food changes every 100 miles, he said, And yet we speak in one voice.
  • We are home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them diversity is a natural way of life.
• Highlighted the economic opportunity and the scale
  • Today India is the fifth largest economy. And India will be the third largest economy soon.
  • India has ensured:
    • home to nearly 40 million homes to provide shelter to over 150 million people. That is nearly six times the population of Australia.
    • national health insurance program (ensures free medical treatment for about 500 million people, greater than the population of South America),
    • banking to the unbanked (nearly 500 million people benefited, close to the population of North America),
    • more than 850 million smartphones and internet users in the country (more than the population of Europe).
• Women’s empowerment
  • India also had the highest percentage of women airline pilots in the world and they have also put us on Mars by leading our Mars vision.
• Youth and tech
  • The younger generation is also making India the hub of technology. He outlined mobile payments, apps, data science, and quantum computing.
  • Last year, out of every 100 Real Time digital payments in the world, 46 happened in India.
• US’s place in India’s scheme of things
  • PM Modi highlighted the case about how US is important for India and vice-versa.
    • When defence and aerospace in India grow, industries in the state of Washington, Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Pennsylvania thrive.
    • When American companies grow, their research and development centers in India thrive.
    • When Indians fly more, a single order of aircrafts creates more than a million jobs in 44 states in America.
    • When American phone makers invest in India, it creates an entire ecosystem of jobs and opportunities in both countries.
    • When India and the US work together on semiconductors and critical minerals, it helps in making supply chains more diverse, resilient and reliable.
• Taking on China on US soil
  • The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific.
  • The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership.
• Flagged terrorism as a concern

 

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Q1) What is Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas?

 The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is a supersonic, single-seat, multirole fighter aircraft designed and developed by India. It is the result of several decades of indigenous efforts to establish an advanced fighter aircraft program in the country. The Tejas is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and has been in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) since 2016.

 

Q2) What is H-1B visa?

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa category in the United States that allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialized occupations. It is one of the most popular work visas used by companies to hire skilled professionals from around the world.

 

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Source: MEA | Indian Express | The Hindu