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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to Washington on a 3-day state visit at the invitation of US President Joe Biden.

Narendra Modi will reach New York on Wednesday. President Biden will welcome him at the White House the next day.

Several important issues are expected to be discussed during his visit. According to Indian media NDTV, there will be 5 issues in the Modi-Biden discussion.

At least 2 important agreements may be signed. One of these is the $3 billion contract for the state-of-the-art ‘MQ-9B Sea Guardian’ armed drone. The other is with the Indian-made ‘Tejas’ fighter jet engine. It will be manufactured at state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Karnataka with the help of General Electric through technology transfer.

Narendra Modi is also expected to discuss India’s trade relations with the US. One of the main points of discussion is likely to be the removal of delays in obtaining visas for Indians. Indians have a record of waiting up to 600 days in the US visa process.

The US is also expected to urge India to join under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).

Prime Minister Modi is likely to address the joint session of the US Congress for the second time on June 22.

No Indian Prime Minister has ever addressed a joint session of Congress twice before. Even, none other than former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and former South African President Nelson Mandela have received this honour.

Narendra Modi will meet leaders of 20 top US business organizations. Apart from this, he is expected to address a gathering of over 1500 diaspora Indians and business leaders.

During the 3-day visit, PM Modi will attend a state dinner at the White House and a private dinner with Biden’s family. He will also attend the lunch with Vice President Kamala Harris and Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken. Modi will also attend the ‘International Yoga Day’ ceremony at the UN headquarters.

According to a report by the news agency Reuters, this state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is particularly important for the geopolitics of Asia, especially South Asia. The continued influence of Asia’s superpower China is a concern for the Indo-US.

New Delhi-based Asia Society Policy Institute Senior Fellow C. “This is not a routine visit,” Raja Mohan told the news agency. This visit will mark an important turning point in India-US bilateral relations.

According to him, it is not a question of China or anti-China, it is important to create a new balance in power politics in Asia. No single power can dominate a multinational Asia.