In a show of unity and shared objectives, President Joe Biden, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat at the center of a long table, facing the press in front of two sets of American and Indian flags.
The meeting, held at the White House on Friday, brought together top business executives from both nations, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation on a global scale. Among the notable attendees was Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, who sat to the right of PM Modi. Jeff Zients, the White House Chief of Staff, sat across from Cook, while Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo occupied a seat next to Zients, facing Modi. Bill Nelson, the NASA Administrator, sat at the end of the table opposite Eric Garcetti, Ambassador to India and former Mayor of Los Angeles.
At the outset, Biden addressed the press corps, joking about sharing state secrets with chief executives and Indian officials.
“I started off without you, and I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things that we shared,” Biden told reporters.
During his remarks, President Biden emphasized the technological advancements being pursued by both the United States and India, emphasizing the potential to reshape the world. He highlighted the launch of new collaborative programs between the two nations, stating, “Our countries are taking innovation and cooperation to a new level.” Expressing gratitude to those present, he underscored the importance of sustained effort, urging everyone to aim even higher.
“We need to help seize the moment, help manage the risk to our society, economy,” Biden acknowledged, emphasizing the need to establish “guardrails” around emerging technologies to ensure they are trustworthy, secure, and uphold shared values in human rights. He recognized the significance of the partnership with India, emphasizing its impact on pressing global issues such as climate change, space exploration, and poverty alleviation.
“Our partnership between India and the United States will go a long way in my view,” Biden concluded, expressing his optimism for the future of the bilateral relationship.
Following President Biden’s remarks, PM Modi addressed the audience in Hindi for approximately four minutes.
He emphasized the diverse representation at the meeting, with CEOs and individuals from various domains and aspects of life, including both large companies and startups.
Modi described the India-US relationship as a partnership of talent and technology, envisioning a new beginning that promised a bright future. Highlighting President Biden’s strength and vision along with India’s talent, Modi stressed the tremendous potential for both nations.
Today marked the conclusion of the third day of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit. Yesterday, during a Joint Meeting of Congress, Modi delivered a speech lasting one hour, which received mixed reviews.
The Pavlovic Today has obtained the full list of guests at the White House meeting.
Participants
T.H. Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce
T.H. Jeff Zients, Chief of Staff
T.H. Lael Brainard, Director, National Economic Council
T.H. Eric Garcetti, Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of India
H.E. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs
H.E. Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor
H.E. Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Foreign Secretary
H.E. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of the Republic of India to the United States
Mr. Rajesh Singh, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
T.H. Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator
T.H. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation
Mr. Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google
Mr. Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI
Mr. Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Ms. Revathi Advaithi, CEO, Flex
Ms. Lisa Su, CEO, AMD
Mr. Thomas Tull, Founder, Tulco LLC
Mr. Hemant Taneja, CEO and Managing Director, General Catalyst
Mr. Mark Douglas, President and CEO, FMC Corporation
Mr. Will Marshall, CEO, Planet Labs
CAPT Sunita Williams, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NASA Astronaut
Mr. Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
Mr. Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group
Mr. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman & MD, Reliance Industries
Mr. Nikhil Kamath, Co-Founder, Zerodha & True Beacon
Ms. Vrinda Kapoor, Co-Founder, 3rdiTech
US Delegation
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Kurt Campbell, Coordinator for Asia, NSC
T.H. Tarun Chhabra, Senior Director for Technology, NSC
T.H. Eileen Laubacher, Senior Director for South Asia, NSC
Ms. Helena Fu, Director for Technology Alliances, NSC
Mr. Anthony Renzulli, Director for India, NSC
Mr. Edward “Ted” Dean, Counselor to the Secretary, Department of Commerce
Jenny Kaplan, Senior Advisor
Elizabeth Kelly, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, NEC
Jana Plat, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement
India Delegation
Ms. Vani Sarraju Rao, Additional Secretary (Americas)
Ms. Sripriya Ranganathan, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India
Mr. Arindam Bagchi, Additional Secretary and Official Spokesperson
Dr. Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister
Dr. Hiren Joshi, Officer on Special Duty
Mr. Vivek Kumar, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
Dr. Vipin Kumar, Deputy Secretary
Ms. Nidhi Tewari, Deputy Secretary
