New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Indian Americans on the diaspora's role in India's development during his visit to the US from June 21-24. The event, organised by Chicago-based Dr Bharat Barai in Washington DC, is sold out with 838 registered attendees.
The focus will be on the diaspora's contributions to the country’s growth, emphasising engagement with the prime minister. Modi will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Centre in Washington on June 23.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.
Amitabh Mittal from Chicago expressed excitement and anticipation for Modi's visit, hoping for an announcement on the Hindu Heritage Month in October, which has received recognition in several countries.
Meanwhile, the defence ministry on Thursday approved procurement of 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework and the nearly $3 billion deal is expected to be announced following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Washington next week.
The procurement of the weaponised ‘hunter-killer’ drones from General Atomics was cleared at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, people familiar with the matter said.
The Sea Guardian Predator drones are being procured at a cost of around $3 billion to crank up the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China, they said.
