Modi Draws CEOs, Tech Titans To White House Dinner
Members of the president's family, including his son Hunter Biden, attended the dinner, days after they reached a settlement in a dispute over federal tax and gun charges.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his wife Anu Nadella attended the dinner. Pennsylvania
To accommodate Mr. Moody, who is a vegetarian, First Lady Jill Biden teamed up with guest chef Nina Curtis, a California chef known for her innovative plant-based cuisine.
For caterers, guests dine on pickled sorghum, roasted corn and a smothered watermelon salad. Main courses include stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy saffron risotto. Attendees can order sea bass grilled with sumac. For dessert, guests will enjoy strawberry cake topped with rose and cardamom.
Joe Biden and Narendra Modi joked during a state dinner at the White House. Bloomberg
Attending the dinner were Marriott CEO Anthony Capuno, former American Express CEO Kenneth Chennault, Applied Materials President Gary Dickerson and Micron Technology's Sanjay Mehrotra.
The evening will be hosted by Grammy Award-winning American violinist and conductor Joshua Bell. Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group formed by University of Pennsylvania students, also performed with the US Navy Band Orchestra.
At a joint news conference on Thursday, Biden and Modi talked about a series of trade deals in the technology, aerospace and defense industries, including an agreement between General Electric and India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics to make the F-414 engine for light vehicles. A deal for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics has been announced even as Micron plans to build a $2.75 billion ($4 billion) semiconductor complex and test facility in India.
India is striving to become a major partner of the US in the production of semiconductor chips and other key technologies. One of the priorities of Mr. Modi's visit is to facilitate the investment of American companies in India, especially technology companies in the Indian subcontinent.
At the dinner, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook and Apple's Vice President of Environmental and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson attended. Bloomberg
At the beginning of the week, Modi met with Elon Musk, after meeting with the Prime Minister, Tesla is considering a big investment in India.
During the visit, Modi and Biden emphasized civility and partnership as the United States and India disagreed on issues ranging from human rights to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, with Delhi refusing to condemn them. Modi's criticism of the US approach to Ukraine came in a speech to Congress before the state dinner.
"I will now speak directly and clearly: this is not an age of war, but an age of dialogue and diplomacy, and we must all do our best to end bloodshed and human suffering," Modi said in his speech.
Bloomberg
