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Modi concludes US visit with 'Make in India' push in address to diaspora

Reaching out to expats, PM said this is the best time to invest in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a State Visit Luncheon at the State Department in Washington | AP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday concluded his power-packed state visit to the US, asserting that the last three days marked the beginning of a 'new and proud journey' of US-India ties. Addressing the Indian diaspora at the Reagan Centre in Washington, Modi said the new journey “is of our convergence on global strategic issues, of our cooperation for ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.”

Modi highlighted the deals that were struck during his visit, including the GE-HAL pact for manufacturing jet engines in India and Micron's plans to invest in semiconductor chip facility in India. “All these announcements will help to create employment in India. The Artemis Accord signed between India and the US will provide several opportunities in space research. With NASA, India will send astronauts to space,” he said.

India is the mother of democracy and the US is the champion of modern democracy, and the world is watching the strengthening of ties of two great democracies, the prime minister said. Together we are not just forming policies and agreements, we are shaping lives, dreams and destinies,” he said.

He also announced that people of Indian origin will not have to leave the US for getting H-1B visa renewal, drawing massive praise from people present in the hall.

Reaching out to expats, the PM said this is the best time to invest in India. “The research centre of Google's AI in India will work on more than 100 languages. With the help of the Indian Govt, Tamil Studies chair will be established here at University of Houston,” he added.

Addressing business leaders and philanthropists from India and the US as well as other prominent members of the Indian-American community at the Kennedy Centre, Modi said it is now the responsibility of the corporate sector to take advantage of the opportunity created by the US and India governments. Every development project of India has the capacity to further strengthen the American dream, Modi said.

In India's growth story, there are unlimited opportunities for America and for the country's corporate community, he said. India is the world's youngest nation and it has the world's biggest youth talent pool and skilled and professional force, the prime minister said and asserted that whichever country joins India at this time, it is bound to benefit, he added.

During his stay in the US, Modi met President Joe Biden, attended a state dinner and interacted with leading tech CEOs and thought leaders. Internet giant Google will set up its global fintech operation centre at GIFT City in Gujarat, its CEO Sundar Pichai said on Friday after meeting PM Modi.

Modi wrapped up his US visit, and left for Egypt Saturday morning.