Modi US visit: What the PM discussed with ’24 thought leaders’

The American city of New York was abuzz with energy and one can thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it. The Indian PM landed at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport in the United States of America ahead of his state visit (which begins on 22 June) and was welcomed by officials and dignitaries of the US administration and with a grand welcome by the people of the Indian diaspora with much appreciation and enthusiasm. Ahead of Modi leading the International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters – the event is scheduled for 5.30 pm IST – the indefatigable leader met with several leaders, academics and intellectuals where he spoke of India’s achievements and the future of the country. And the Big Apple welcomed Modi with a big embrace – the Federation of Indian Associations flew a 250 feet long banner over the Hudson River, in New York to welcome him and Indian-American community members cheered him and raised slogans in his favour.

#WATCH | FIA (Federation of Indian Associations) flies a 250 feet long banner over the Hudson River, in New York to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his historic visit to the United States. pic.twitter.com/adtsQ0rpVN

— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023

Let’s take a closer look at who the PM met, what they discussed and his further plans while he’s in New York. Modi’s Musk meeting After landing in New York, Modi began his US visit by meeting 24 “thought leaders”, including Nobel laureates, economists, artists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academicians, health sector experts and others. He began with meeting Tesla CEO and now owner of Twitter Elon Musk . This was Modi’s first meeting with Musk after he bought the microblogging platform; the PM had last met the billionaire in 2015 during his visit to Tesla Motors factory in California. [caption id=“attachment_12766802” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Modi met Musk in New York on the first day of his US visit. The two had a discussion during which plans for a Tesla plant in India were also spoken of. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] Following the meeting, Musk told reporters that it was a fantastic meeting and that “I like him quite a lot”. He added that India has more promise than any other large country and that he was incredibly excited about its future. When asked if Tesla would enter the Indian market, the CEO said he is planning to visit the country next year. “I am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible,” he said. “I would like to thank the prime minister for his support and hopefully we will be able to announce something in the not so distant future,” Musk said. “We do not want to jump the gun on an announcement but I think it is quite likely that it will be a significant investment in our relationship with India,” the Tesla CEO said. Musk also lauded Modi, saying he “really cares about India because he is pursuing us to make significant investment in India.” “I am a fan of Modi,” he said. On the recent Twitter controversy and former CEO Jack Dorsey’s allegations, Musk said that the social media giant does not have a choice but to follow the local government. “The best we can do is to follow the laws in any given country,” he said, adding that it is impossible for “us to do more than that”. Talking money with Professor Romer Besides Musk, Modi also met other influential people in New York, including eminent economist and Nobel laureate Professor Paul Romer. The PM and Romer, the 2018 winner of the Nobel Economic Prize and the World Bank’s chief economist, held discussions on India’s digital journey, including the use of Aadhar and innovative tools like Digilocker. [caption id=“attachment_12766812” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Modi holds talks with eminent economist and Nobel laureate Prof Paul Romer. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] Earlier, Romer had praised India’s unique identification number (UIN) system, Aadhaar calling it the most sophisticated he had seen. He had said back in 2017, “It could be good for the world if this became widely adopted.” Following his meeting with Modi, Romer said as per a News18 report, “It was a great meeting. We talked about the importance of successful urban development. He understands these issues very well. PM articulated it very well that urbanisation is not a problem. It’s an opportunity. I take this as a slogan. India can show the way to the World on the authentication front with programs like Aadhaar.” Out of this world talks with deGrasse Tyson PM Modi also held interesting talks with prominent astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the prime minister exchanged views on inculcating scientific temperament among youth and discussed at length about India’s rapid progress in space sector with Tyson. [caption id=“attachment_12766832” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Modi interacts with celebrated US astrophysicist, author and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] Tyson was quoted as saying later, “Sky is not the limit for PM Modi. I was delighted to spend time with the Leader, who is scientifically thoughtful,” he said, adding, “Priorities might be out of balance for many world leaders but Prime Minister Modi cares for many things including solutions.” Talking Buddha with Bob Thurman In New York, PM Modi also met with Buddhist scholar, author and Padma Shri awardee Bob Thurman. The two, as per the MEA, exchanged perspectives on how Buddhist values can act as guiding light for finding solutions to global challenges. They also discussed India’s Buddhist connect and efforts being made by India for preservation of Buddhist heritage. [caption id=“attachment_12766842” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Modi holds talks with with Buddhist scholar, author and Padma Shri awardee Bob Thurman at New York’s Lotte Palace Hotel. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] Modi later tweeting about his interaction wrote, “The interaction with Bob Thurman was outstanding. I admire his passion towards research and scholarship on aspects relating to Buddhism. I highlighted India’s Buddhist heritage and how Buddhism can help overcome many challenges our world faces.” Business matters with Ray Dalio PM Modi also met and spoke to billionaire investor and hedge fund manager Ray Dalio. Founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, Dalio exited the firm last year after announcing his retirement in October 2022. [caption id=“attachment_12766852” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Modi with billionaire investor and founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, Ray Dalio. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] Today, after his meeting with the prime minister, Dalio expressed his admiration and optimism for India’s future under Modi’s leadership. A respected figure in the investment world, Ray Dalio acknowledged the significance of PM Modi’s tenure in terms of India’s development and the potential for transformation that lies ahead. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a man whose time has come at the time that India’s time has come,” Dalio said, signaling his confidence in India’s ascent on the global stage. Dalio went on to laud PM Modi as a “reformer” with the capacity to enact transformative changes. Hitting the high notes with Falu The PM also met with Grammy award-winning Indian-American singer Falu. The PM lauded her for her song Abundance in Millets that raises awareness regarding healthy and environment friendly millets.

#WATCH | New York, USA: Grammy award-winning Indian-American singer Falu (Falguni Shah) (@FaluMusic) after meeting PM Modi says "It was so nice to see him, we have worked together for 6 months. He loved the album cover and the song. He said let's hope a lot of people benefit from… pic.twitter.com/I2ib7ZKhYd

— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023

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Falu reacting to her interaction with Modi said, “It was so nice to see him, we have worked together for six months. He loved the album cover and the song. He said let’s hope a lot of people benefit from the song and the cause is taken care of.” Other talks Prime Minister Modi also met with prominent US academics and US think tank experts. They discussed a range of developmental and geo-political issues. The prime minister invited them to enhance their presence in India as it embarks on its transformation during the Amrit Kaal. Plans for the day After his meetings with eminent personalities, Modi will head to the UN headquarters where he will lead the International Yoga Day celebrations . Perhaps one of the biggest ambassadors of the ancient Indian practice, Modi released a video before the celebrations asking people to eliminate contradictions, hurdles and resistances through yoga. “We have to eliminate our contradictions, blockages and resistances through yoga. We have to present the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ as an example to the world,” Modi said. Post the Yoga Day celebrations, Modi will then head to Washington and meet with US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.