Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New York on Tuesday afternoon eastern time (late Tuesday night IST) to reinforce what he termed ties “based on shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom” between India and the US, and to address the “shared global challenges” of the two countries.

Saying that India-US ties were multifaceted, with deepening engagements across sectors, Modi said, “USA is India’s largest trade partner in goods and services. We collaborate closely in science and technology, education, health, defence and security fields.” He added that the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) — which was launched this January — has added new dimensions and widened collaboration to “defence industrial cooperation, space, telecom, quantum, Artificial Intelligence and biotech sectors”.

“Our two countries are also collaborating to further our shared vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific”, the PM said.

In New York, Modi is scheduled to meet a select group of about two dozen individuals from sectors as diverse as business, arts, think-tank community, health, science, and more, later on Tuesday. He will meet the chief executive officer of Tesla, SpaceX and chairman of Twitter Elon Musk, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Grammy award-winning Indian-American singer Falu (Falguni Shah), Nicholas Nassim Taleb, Ray Dalio, Jeff Smith, Michael Froman Daniel Russel, Elbridge Colby, Peter Agre, Stephen Klasko and Chandrika Tandon.

Modi will lead the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations headquarters on Wednesday morning eastern time. HT had first reported on the details of the event on May 31, in which the UN General Assembly president, Csaba Korosi, diplomatic representatives from permanent missions of countries to the UN, New York mayor Eric Adams, and members of the diaspora are expected to join the PM. The UN, with the overwhelming support of member states, declared June 21 as Yoga Day nine years ago. “I look forward to this special celebration at the very location that supported India’s proposal in December 2014 to recognise an International Day of Yoga,” Modi said.

He will then depart for Washington DC on Wednesday. During what officials and observers are already billing as a historic visit, Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome in the White House, attend a state dinner hosted by the Bidens and a lunch hosted by vice president Kamala Harris, address a joint meeting of the US Congress, and engage with business leaders, Indian-American professionals, and the diaspora.