US and India announce defence and technology deals during visit by Narendra Modi

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Joe Biden welcomed Narendra Modi to the White House on Thursday for a state visit during which the US and Indian leaders announced defence and technology deals, including a purchase of American spy drones.

Modi and Biden held talks in the Oval Office before giving a news conference — a rare event as the Indian prime minister has not held one in years. Biden told reporters that the partnership between the US and India was “stronger, closer and more dynamic than any time in history”, while Modi spoke of a “new chapter” in the strategic relationship between the two countries.

India’s prime minister will speak to Congress before attending a state banquet at the White House.

Speaking in front of hundreds of Indian Americans, Modi earlier described the welcome ceremony as “an honour and pride for [the] 1.4bn people of India”.

“The 1.4bn people of India wish with me for India’s tricolour and America’s stars and stripes to always keep flying higher and higher,” Modi said via a translator, before saying “God bless America” in English.

Modi is only the third world leader to make a state visit to the US since Biden took office. His speech to Congress will make him one of only a handful of leaders to address the House and Senate more than once.

Ahead of the visit, US officials said India would commit to buying armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, which are produced by US defence contractor General Atomics. The leaders will also announce that memory chipmaker Micron will open a $2.75bn semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, which will include $800mn in investment from the US company.

“After years of strengthening ties in a bipartisan context, the US-India partnership is deeper and more expansive than . . . ever,” said a senior US official.

Biden and Modi also signed an agreement that will result in General Electric co-producing fighter jet engines in India, which the Biden administration described as a “trailblazing initiative”.

The agreements, which also include efforts to boost co-operation in space, mark a big push by Washington to draw New Delhi into its orbit as part of a strategy to work with allies and partners to counter China.

Since taking office, Biden has invested in boosting defence and security co-operation with New Delhi, including resurrecting the “Quad” security group that includes India, Japan and Australia.

While India maintains a non-aligned foreign policy, it has moved closer to the US amid rising tensions with China.

India and China have an unresolved dispute along their nearly 3,500km-long border, which last escalated into violence in May 2020 when Chinese and Indian troops clashed in the Galwan Valley.

American officials say the clashes have made India more willing to partner with Washington.

A US defence official this week said the security deals being announced during the visit would boost interoperability between the two militaries.

Asked what role India would play in the case of a conflict over Taiwan, the senior US official refused to provide specifics, but said the countries were working more closely on maritime and other contingencies.

“We are planning more together, we are training more together,” he said.

“We’re engaging in a variety of scenario developments,” he added. “You will see that co-operation will extend increasingly not just to the Indian Ocean but to the Pacific Ocean.”

Biden has come under criticism for granting Modi a state visit, given accusations from critics that Indian democracy is under threat from a squeeze on free expression and incitement of violence against minority Muslims and Christians.

The senior US official said Biden would approach discussions about human rights with “a degree of humility” and would not engage in “hectoring, lecturing or scolding”. After the meeting Biden said he had a “good discussion” with Modi about “democratic values” common to both countries.

Modi added: “Democracy runs in our veins, we live democracy.”

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