The red carpet has been laid out on the tarmac, and the silverware is ready as Washington gears up to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi on what is set to be his first state visit to the US, months ahead of the general election back home.

PM Modi, whose party has plunged head-first into an election year, is visiting New York and Washington at a time when the geopolitical order is in a flux. The war in Ukraine continues with no end in sight, China-US ties have never been so fraught and New Delhi has on its hands an unprecedented window of opportunity to cement its ties with Washington.

During his three-day visit, PM Modi will be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a State Dinner at the White House followed by his address to a Joint Sitting of the US Congress. As is the norm during all of his visits abroad, PM Modi will also interact with members of the Indian diaspora, leaders of industry and other key stakeholders.

One look at PM Modi’s itinerary makes it evident that India has successfully positioned itself as a key “global strategic” partner of the US. But the real story lies in how nine years of Modi’s government — characterised by massive infrastructural growth, red-letter economic reforms, and a nationwide digitisation drive — have put India in a pole position.

Like India’s growth story, PM Modi’s personal popularity too is not limited by borders. In September 2021, The Morning Consult found that Modi had an approval rating of 70 per cent — highest among 13 global leaders polled at the time including Biden, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then Brazilian premier Jair Bolsonaro.

One can also not discount that PM Modi single handedly changed the political landscape in India by bringing development to the forefront, coupled with his unwavering determination to deliver on the promises he made to voters.

His government’s emphasis on promoting entrepreneurship, improving ease of doing business and empowering India’s women workforce has earned PM Modi praise both in India and abroad.

Published on https://theprint.in/opinion/why-potential-recession-in-us-is-bad-news-for-india/1094090/ at 18 June, 2023