Modi’s US visit has been a boon for India in the technological & economical fields: Dr Chandra

Reflecting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the USA, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra reveals that even after years, American citizens are still in awe of Modi’s charisma. The recent visit will turn out to be a major boon for India as semiconductor manufacturing will be done here and global companies will invest in the nation in days to come. Dr Chandra also stresses that even though BJP could muster fewer seats than in 2019, the world still knows that Modi is the undisputed leader of India, who has influence not only in his own country but around the globe. Excerpts... (Part I)

• Once again the USA has witnessed the ‘Modi wave’. What does this mean?
  Dr Jagdeesh Chandra: Narendra Modi is one of the most popular persons even in the USA. The crowd that gathers to see him and the enthusiasm among the people is worth seeing. Someone said that if he is allowed, he should contest elections in America now and he will win with record votes. Modi is a miracle in America. He is a phenomenon in America and is the first Prime Minister of the country who is welcomed so vehemently abroad and has such a huge public connection that no one has had to date. So you can say that even outside the country’s borders, Modi is as popular today as he is in Gujarat, Rajasthan, or Madhya Pradesh. See, in 2019, a ‘Howdy Modi’ program was held in which 50,000 people were present there. People get a kind of electric shock on seeing Modi’s face. People are crazy to see Modi, and some start dancing, some start singing, some start shouting slogans, all this is in front of all of us. And what happened in America this time? Twenty-five thousand people were present there to listen to Modi and Modi was overwhelmed. He said that I had come to a mini India, such was the situation there. From this visit, it can be said that once again Modi-Modi in America.

• In America, PM Modi said that Namaste has now become multinational. What did the Prime Minister want to say in this?
  This is a symbol of the growing India, India’s pride. This is a symbol of the wonders that the Indian passport has done abroad. Where was India before and where is it today, what was the image of Indians before and how is it today? How is the impression, influence, and status of Indians today? So what he means to say is that Namaste which is an identity of our civilization has reached great heights today. So you can say that earlier India was limited to its own nation, today the people of India are working on the international canvas, hence it is said that Namaste has become international, multinational.

• You just called Narendra Modi a phenomenon in the US context. But did you feel that there was any difference in the response of Indians living there or foreign dignitaries when the BJP got 303 seats in 2019 and now it has got 240 seats?
  There is no shortage, they know Narendra Modi, they don’t know BJP, they don’t know NDA. They just know that Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister. As I have said earlier, either you are the Prime Minister, or you are not, there is no in-between in this issue. And we all know Modi is the Prime Minister. So there was not even an iota of a wrinkle on anyone’s face, and the foreign dignitaries behaved as they should have. The enthusiasm among the people of India was more than before and when Modi said that the government had been formed for the third time, people went crazy and started clapping, which was so loud that it became difficult to describe Narendra Modi. So, whether it is a foreign country or our country, 303 or 240 does not matter. Narendra Modi will be there at least for another five years. Even in 2029, everyone is saying that Modi is coming again.

• If you are asked to sum up this US visit of Narendra Modi in 4-5 lines, what will you say?
  We can say that there was personal chemistry, branding, business, peacemaking, more connection with the people and now there is a strategic partnership between India and USA.

• It is being asked in diplomatic circles that elections are going to be held in a few days, so why did Modi go to America in the last days of Joe Biden’s tenure?
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mind is his own, he usually does not follow the opinion or advice of the Ministry of External Affairs or anyone else. He thinks about his own decisions and he has also decided the time of departure himself. But as far as the academic analysis is concerned, I think he must have felt that the person could go, and as it seems from the situation till now, it seems that Biden is not coming back, so there is a general feeling that whatever work needs to be done by the person leaving, get it done. The new person will come, read the file, and teach and it will take many months. Modi had to get big work done like semiconductors, drones, etc. So the feeling comes to mind that get the work done, why delay it? Secondly, he had to go to the Quad meeting and give his leadership there and thirdly, he had to give this message to the whole world that I am the Prime Minister, I am the global leader. Nothing has changed in India and nothing will change in our handling of global issues. In conclusion, we can say that it was a sort of farewell to Biden from his friend Modi.

• So can we call this visit of the Prime Minister ‘tech diplomacy’?
  That is a brilliant analysis. We can call it tech diplomacy because technology has taken a central place in India’s foreign policy and national strategy. You see, the joint statement issued by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi clearly shows that technology has been treated as a waste area. There is a discussion on telecom, semiconductors, biotechnology, clean energy, and nuclear reactors, so it can be said that technology has now taken a prime central place in India’s economic and political strategy. That’s why maybe someone wrote that this journey was to create a techno hub.

• What was the agenda of this visit and what has Modi brought for India from America?
  The agenda which is largely visible is the Quad meeting. The second was the round table business conference of global CEOs, which he had to attend. Then he also had to go to the UNO and deliver his speech on Peace Path. Then he has to meet the NRIs. Apart from that, he also had to announce the opening of two embassies and then he also had to meet the Prime Minister of Nepal and the President of Palestine, so all in all, this was the agenda. Now the question is what did he bring to India? So the biggest success was that he brought semiconductors from there. Secondly, 31 drones are coming which will have a good impact on national security and our military will become stronger. Then the Global CEOs conference that has taken place has opened a huge gate for them. In the coming months, you will see there will be a huge influx of foreign investment in the country from these CEOs. In conclusion, one can say that this was a successful visit, from a political as well as economic standpoint.

• Why did Modi give so much importance to semiconductor technology during his US visit? Is it a bigger deal than the nuclear deal?
  Its publicity is something like this and its relevance in Narendra Modi’s mind is something like this. Narendra Modi has clearly said that India does not follow, India leads and a small chip will take the country to great heights. In my opinion, this is the first multi-material semiconductor manufacturing deal that India has done with the US. It is related to national security and it is being called a milestone. Overall, Narendra Modi himself is very excited about this deal because there is a huge shortage of semiconductors in the world and the far-reaching results of this deal will be seen in the future. In today’s perspective, it is as good as the nuclear deal.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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