World Trade Center Washington D. C. (WTCDC) had the honor of serving as the host venue for an exclusive “meet and greet” event, where Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi addressed over 900 members of the Indian diaspora and business community. The gathering took place at the Ronald Regan Building and International Trade Center (RRB/ITC) on June 23rd at the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States. The event was organized by the US-Indian Community Foundation in partnership with WTCDC.
During his address, the Prime Minister thanked the diaspora community for their participation, in such large numbers, from around the United States, representing all corners of India. He said that the gathering constituted a “mini-India” within the RRB/ITC.
Referring to his discussions with the President of the United States Joseph Biden, he stated that the President was an “experienced politician, who has always tried to expand the US-India partnership.” He characterized the discussions as wide-ranging and of mutual interest to the two nations.
The Prime Minister highlighted that US-India ties had embarked on a “glorious new journey,” converging on a number of areas including strategic international issues, technology transfer and manufacturing cooperation. He added that the MOU signed between General Electric Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the production of fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force marked another important milestone in this journey. The Prime Minister said that the large-scale investments announced by leading tech companies like Micron, Google, and Applied Materials would connect India with the global semiconductor supply chain. At the same time, they would boost the “Make in India” initiative with new employment opportunities for Indian people.
The joint statement issued by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi at the end of the state visit covers an array of bilateral and global affairs topics/focuses, including democracy and human rights, the Indo-Pacific initiative, science and technology, semiconductor supply chains, space exploration, defense cooperation, clean energy, cyber security and trade and investment.
In 2022, the bilateral trade between the two countries surpassed $191 billion - an increase of almost 70% over the previous year. The key commodity sectors between the U.S. and India include minerals, chemicals, plastics, leather products, stone, glass and semiprecious metals, as well as textiles and footwear.
The World Trade Center Washington D.C. looks forward to participating in the next General Assembly of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), scheduled for March 2024 in the Indian city of Bengaluru (Bangalore). Inspired by the remarkable momentum generated during Prime Minister Modi's visit, WTCDC is committed to forging even stronger and enduring partnerships between the business communities of both nations.
WTCDC Executive Director,
Allyson McKithen greeted Indian Prime Minister Modi on his arrival at the RRB/ITC
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