Later this month, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the United States for his first state visit from June 21 to 24, which will include a state dinner hosted by President Biden at the White House and an address to a joint sitting of the US Congress.
This would be the second such address by Mr. Modi but the first time an Indian Prime Minister will make a speech to the US Congress twice. As far as optics go, state visits are the highest ranked as per diplomatic protocol.
Dr. Manmohan Singh was the last Indian leader to be invited on a state visit to Washington DC in 2009. There is greater pomp and ceremony in a state visit, even a 21 gun salute.
What it reflects is a US that is embracing India despite hiccups over New Delhi’s relationship with Russia and controversies surrounding democratic backsliding in India.
India’s democratic credentials
There are hectic preparations underway to make the US visit a grand success. Top US officials, including Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan have been or are coming to India to tie up loose ends.
‘The Hindu’ newspaper has reported that among the deals on the table include a major technology partnership for GE-414 jet engines to be assembled in India. There could also be some forward movement on trade issues and tariffs.
The US visit should not be seen in isolation. Mr. Modi is also travelling to France in July, where he will be the guest of honour at the Bastille Day celebrations. The West is clearly wooing India and it comes at a time when India had remained steadfast in its position on the war in Ukraine and buying oil from Russia.
It is largely the challenge from China in the Indo Pacific that is driving this relationship. What that also means is that the US is no longer publicly lecturing India on issues like democracy. Last month, some feathers were ruffled in New Delhi when the US state department released a report criticising India as it documented hate speeches by BJP leaders and other incidents.
The Indian foreign ministry called the report “biased” and “motivated”. However, the controversy soon died down as US officials have since then gone out of their way to emphasise India’s democratic credentials. A top White House official described India only the other day as a “vibrant democracy”.
"Anybody that happens to go to New Delhi can see that for themselves”, said John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communication at the National Security Council. There have been whispers for some time now that US diplomats posted in Delhi are watering down reports sent back to DC.
Engaging with the world
Indeed, on the same day that Indian tax officials raided the offices of the BBC, President Biden was congratulating India for a mega jet deal between Boeing and Air India. The Americans know where their interests lie and often national self interest underlines its relationship with countries. Despite what they make say on the record.
All of this works well for India at the moment, with New Delhi’s foreign policy firmly rooted in its own interests and challenges. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had recently remarked that it was better for India to engage with the world on the basis of “who we are” rather than try and please everyone.
So while India may have moved closer to the US, it is not a formal ally in the military sense. India continues to engage with Russia, keeping pragmatism at the heart of its diplomacy but sometimes the contradictions do catch up.
Such as making the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation a virtual meeting instead of a physical one in Delhi as was originally planned. Though no reason was given, there is speculation they wanted to avoid any diplomatic incident just ahead of Mr. Modi’s US visit.
The West realises this is an India which will engage with it on its terms and given the tensions with China and the huge Indian market, they are more than willing to embrace New Delhi.
