Bilateral Relations and Defining Partnership

U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Thursday a new era in the bilateral relations and hoped a “defining partnership” between their two countries will shape the next century. The statements came after Washington rolled out the red carpet for Modi as it eyes a counterweight to China while brushing off allegations of growing authoritarianism in New Delhi.

Major Deals and Warm Welcome

The two nations reached major deals on fighter jet engines, semiconductor investment, and space cooperation as Biden offered a warm welcome to Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency. With thousands of Indian-Americans chanting his name on the White House’s South Lawn, Modi, sporting a flowing white kurta with a sky-blue jacket, walked a red carpet to a gun salute.

U.S.-India Relationship in the 21st Century

“I have long believed that the relationship between the U.S. and India will be one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century,” Biden said. Modi, India’s most powerful prime minister in decades, said that the visit brought a “new direction and new energy” to the partnership with the United States.

Addressing Concerns on Human Rights Record

Indian-American supporters broke protocol to chant Modi’s name during the speech, but at least six lawmakers from Biden’s Democratic Party boycotted the talk, pointing to Modi’s human rights record. Biden addressed the concerns lightly, calling religious pluralism a “core principle” for both India and the United States and saying that democratic values “face challenges around the world and in each of our countries.”

“The whole world has a stake in our success,” Biden said. “Maintaining our democracies makes us appealing partners.”

Modi defended his record in a rare open press exchange for the usually scripted prime minister. Criticizing those who would question India’s democratic character, Modi said, “regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there’s absolutely no space for discrimination.”

Since taking office in 2014, India has passed a controversial law on citizenship, abrogated the special status of Muslim-majority Kashmir and seen increasing violence against minorities, with a U.S. State Department report pointing to inflammatory rhetoric from members of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi has also faced criticism for police raids on media outlets and the expulsion from parliament of the opposition leader.

Vegetarian State Dinner

Biden offered full honors to Modi, including a gala dinner, with First Lady Jill Biden tapping a celebrated Californian plant-based chef to cook for the strictly vegetarian prime minister. Among the nearly 400 guests invited to the evening’s candlelit festivities were notable Indian-American business leaders, including Google chief Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Major Agreements

Earlier in the day, in an agreement hailed by Modi as a landmark, the United States signed off on a technology transfer for engines as India begins producing homegrown fighter jets. General Electric will have the green light to produce its F414 engines jointly with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics. A U.S. official said India would also buy MQ-9B SeaGuardian high-precision armed drones.

In another agreement, U.S. chip giant Micron will invest $800 million in a semiconductor assembly and testing plant in India, which is expected to reach $2.75 billion after contributions from New Delhi.

The United States and India also agreed as well to end six disputes before the World Trade Organization and expand cooperation in space, with India joining a US-led initiative to put a human back on the Moon by 2025.