Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New York on the first leg of his historic state visit to the United States.
He will attend Yoga Day celebrations at the UN headquarters on June 21. PM Modi will then travel to Washington DC and will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of the Prime Minister the same evening. The Prime Minister will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress the same day.
On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In addition to official engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to have several interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders.
Narendra Modi will be meeting Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk during his landmark US trip that begins today.
The Prime Minister earlier met Musk in 2015 during a visit to Tesla Motors factory in California. Back then, Musk did not own Twitter.
The Prime Minister’s upcoming meeting with Musk comes at a time when Tesla is scouting for a location for its India factory.
During an interview by The Wall Street Journal, Musk was asked if the automaker was interested in the Indian market. “Absolutely,” he replied. He added that Tesla is likely to finalise a location to set up its India factory by the end of this year.
According to sources in the government, the Prime Minister will be meeting over two dozen thought-leaders from various fields after he lands in New York today.
These leaders comprise Nobel laureates, economists, artists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academics and experts from the health sector.
The Prime Minister’s interactions with these leaders, the sources said, will be aimed at understanding the developments in the US and exploring possible collaborations.
Besides Musk, the Prime Minister will meet author and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, economist Paul Romer, statistician Nicholas Nassim Taleb and investor Ray Dalio, said government sources.
Also on the list are Indian-American singer Falu Shah, author and researcher Jeff Smith, former US trade representative Michael Froman, diplomat Daniel Russel and defence expert Elbridge Colby.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet physician and Nobel laureate Dr Peter Agre, healthcare expert Dr Stephen Klasko and Indian-American businesswoman and artist Chandrika Tandon.
The Prime Minister left for the US this morning for a prestigious State Visit, an honour reserved by Washington DC for the closest of allies. The highlights of the Prime Minister’s itinerary include an address to a joint session of the US Congress, meetings with business leaders and Indian expats, and a state dinner at the White House with US President Joe Biden.
