Leading Role

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI’S three-day visit to the US from September 21 to September 23 was strategically planned to leave a lasting impact not only on India-US relations but also on the broader trajectory of India’s growth and global aspirations. The visit highlighted India’s key bilateral relationships, its push for reformed multilateralism, representation of the Global South, regional security, and intentions to resolve ongoing conflicts. It also underscored the expansive nature of India’s bilateral relations with the US while simultaneously showcasing the multilateral scope of India’s global engagement. The timing was particularly significant, as it coincided with two major multilateral forums—the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the first Summit of the Future—both convening global leaders in the US. These plat­forms provided an ideal opportunity for India to advance its bilateral interests with the US while also asserting its role in shaping multilateral discourse on global challenges.

The Quad meeting was a central focus of Modi’s visit, marking the first significant event on the agenda. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) has become a crucial foreign policy priority for all four member countries, and Modi’s participation in the summit, held at US President Joe Biden’s home in Delaware, was a historic moment. This Quad Leaders’ Summit, hosted by Biden who is not seeking re-election in November, held special significance as it is likely to be the final Quad Summit for both Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Consequently, this fourth in-person Leaders’ Summit was imbued with a sense of both immediacy and legacy.

Over the years, the Quad has progressively institutionalised its processes through regular meetings at both the leaders’ and foreign ministers’ levels. The most recent of the foreign ministers’ meetings, held in July in Tokyo, has further solidified the Quad’s role as a key mechanism for promoting a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region. This institutionalisation is reflected in the strengthening of the Quad’s structural and budgetary processes to support intra-group funding. Notably, the Quad’s commitment to enhancing inter-parliamentary exchanges has led to the creation of bipartisan House and Senate Quad Caucuses in the US Congress, signalling strong bipartisan support for the initiative.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Quad has intensified its focus on addressing regional and global health crises. During this summit, the Cancer Moonshot Initiative was launched to combat rising cervical cancer cases in the Indo-Pacific. Quad countries have also partnered with international organisations like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to strengthen human papillomavirus (HPV) diagnostics and vaccine availability. India, for its part, has committed to providing technical assistance in the Indo-Pacific region, sharing digital health information through its National Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Centre, and aligning with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Initiative on Digital Health. India will also contribute to HPV-related screening, affordable vaccination, and the scaling-up of cancer screening efforts, integrating its domestic initiatives with broader regional and global efforts under the Quad.

The Biden-Modi bilateral meet marked a significant moment in the ongoing evolution of India’s foreign policy and its strategic partnership with the US. The visit, characterised by Modi’s participation in the Quad Summit and his interaction with the Indian diaspora, underscores the multipronged approach India is taking

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Beyond health, the Quad has taken significant steps to enhance maritime security, building on the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Mari­time Domain Awareness (IPMDA) announced in 2022. Quad countries are working to fortify IPMDA with advanced technologies, data sharing, and a robust legal framework to uphold a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. The Leaders’ Summit provided an opportu­nity to review the progress of maritime domain awareness projects, particularly the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region. A new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) was announced, aimed at improving the monitoring and security of critical sea lanes. India will host the MAITRI workshop in 2025. Complementing this was the announcement of the first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, also set for launch in 2025, which will advance maritime safety, security, and interoperabil­ity at sea. Additionally, the launch of a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project aims to prepare for a networked Indo-Pacif­ic by enhancing infrastructure and secure logistics frameworks that will shape the region’s prosperity. By improving the airlift capacities of Quad partner countries, this logistics network seeks to leverage collective capabilities to respond to humanitarian as­sistance and disaster relief (HADR) calls in the region. In tandem with this initiative, the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership was announced, which focuses on building resilient port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific. India will host the Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference to bring together countries from the region to improve coordination, information sharing, and best practices, while also leveraging public and private investments.

The Quad has also placed significant emphasis on the qual­ity of infrastructure, particularly through its Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. This initiative aims to secure communications and information-sharing networks across the region by building reliable infrastructure and establishing legal frameworks to ensure that these systems operate under strict compliance. From undersea cables to telecommunication networks, the Quad is focused on ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains a connected and secure region.

The summit reinforced the collective commitment of the Quad nations to countering China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo- Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

MODI ALSO HELD a bilateral meeting with Biden to emphasise the importance of their Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership which has now reached “unprecedented levels of trust and collaboration”. The Biden-Modi bilateral meet also marked a significant moment in the ongoing evolution of India’s foreign policy and its strategic partnership with the US. The visit, characterised by Modi’s participation in the Quad summit, his interaction with the Indian diaspora, meetings with key investors, and bilateral engagements with global leaders, underscores the multipronged approach India is taking on the world stage.

The India-US bilateral relationship, in the days leading up to Modi’s visit, received a major boost in the defence sector during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s trip in August this year. Among other things, the signing of the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) was a key development in expanding India-US defence ties. As such, the visit served as a useful oppor­tunity to focus on enhancing maritime security, cyber security, and the defence of critical infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing which are increasingly seen as vital to maintaining strategic dominance in the region.

The Quad is focused on ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains a connected region. The Summit reinforced the commitment of Quad nations to countering China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region

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Modi’s interaction with the Indian diaspora in the US has become a cornerstone of his foreign tours. Modi interacted with an audience of 13,000 people in New York. The diaspora is critical to strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. It is not only a significant contributor to the US economy but also a vital bridge between the two nations, promoting cultural exchange and improving mutual understanding. In his embrace of the diaspora and the CEOs, Modi’s message about India’s rising global stature and its open-door policy for investment and innovation was clear. An improving ease-of-doing business has allowed India to pitch itself as an investor-friendly nation with an ecosystem for innovation.

A key highlight was Modi’s meetings with prominent investors and company heads, whereby he underscored India’s attractiveness as an investment destination, particularly in critical and emerging technologies (iCET). Domestically, India has made some significant strides in the semiconductor industry, an area of growing importance given the global chip shortage and the strategic implications of semiconductor manufacturing.

For the first time, the US military is set to partner with Indian companies in the semiconductor sector. This collabo­ration marks a new chapter in bilateral defence and techno­logical cooperation, with far-reaching implications for both countries and is expected to add new dimensions to how iCET evolves. In the long run, the partnership is expected to enhance India’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, making it a key player in the global supply chain and reducing reliance on China. This move aligns with India’s broader strategy of becoming a global manufacturing hub, as outlined in its Make in India initiative.

MODI’S POLITICAL OUTREACH was another signifi­cant aspect of the visit, marked by several bilateral meet­ings with leaders, among them those from Nepal, Kuwait, Palestine, and Ukraine. These meetings reflected India’s nuanced approach to foreign policy, balancing its traditional ties with new strategic interests. As a preeminent Indo-Pacific country and one of the largest economies, India cannot ignore the conflicts which have dragged on for the past few years, in turn impeding global and regional growth. While a delicate balancing act is crucial for India’s broader position on the two ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the world is carefully watching out for India’s steps as a potential mediator, most immediately in the Ukraine war. India reiterated its posi­tion by calling for dialogue and diplomacy as well as underlin­ing New Delhi’s readiness to assist in efforts aimed at securing a swift resolution to the conflict.

In a notable departure from tradition, Modi chose to skip the UNGA and instead addressed the inaugural UN Summit of the Future. This decision was likely driven by the twin factors of the need for UN reforms as well as the summit’s focus on long-term global challenges, including sustainable develop­ment, climate change, and digital governance, all of which are indispensable to India’s vision. In that spirit, the UNGA approved a 42-page plan to deal with some of the critical chal­lenges facing the world today such as climate change, AI, war, inequality and poverty.

Modi’s address at the Summit of the Future carried deep and far-reaching implications for how India is integrated with global growth, prosperity, innovation and risks. India offered its digital public infrastructure (DPI) to the world. By focusing on issues like climate action, digital inclusivity, and global governance reforms, Modi positioned the country as a leader in shaping the future global order. India’s participation in the summit also underscored its commitment to multilateral­ism and a peaceful world. Delhi’s willingness to play a proac­tive role in addressing global challenges is a change pregnant with multiple possibilities.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US, thus, was a multipronged outreach that reinforced India’s strategic partnership with the US while showcasing an eager and participatory India in the common global good. The visit also came at a point when the US is nearing its November presidential election. That Modi steered clear of meeting any of the two presidential nominees in a tight race is also a testament to the strong bipartisan support that the idea of a robust India-US partnership com­mands in the US Congress. Modi has led from the front in shaping the trajectory of India-US ties and this latest visit once again proves that his leadership remains critical to opening new avenues in this burgeoning engagement between two of the world’s most powerful democracies.

About The Author

Harsh V Pant

Vivek Mishra

Vivek Mishra is Fellow, Americas, at ORF