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Earlier this week, former US President Donald Trump revealed that Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> is scheduled to meet with him next week. This potential gathering, set against the backdrop of Trump’s bid for a return to the White House, highlights how global leaders are positioning themselves in anticipation of possible changes in US leadership. “He happens to be coming to meet me next week, and Modi, he’s fantastic,” Trump said on Tuesday during a town hall event in Flint, Michigan, while discussing free trade and US job protection. He even went on to call India a “very big abuser” in trade, Al Jazeera reported. Most likely, Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting up with Trump could be an acknowledgment of the latter's potential return to power in the November election, as foreign leaders carefully navigate diplomatic relations with key US political figures. However, neither the Trump campaign nor India’s Ministry of External Affairs have clearly commented on the matter yet, meaning that the Indian leader’s plans of a tête-à-tête with ex US President Trump are foggy at best. During a press conference, foreign secretary <keyword id="20181706" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vikram-misri" source="keywords">Vikram Misri</keyword> said, "there are many meetings with the Prime Minister right now which we are trying to fix. Right now, I will not be able to tell you about any specific meeting, whether the meeting has been fixed or not." "We are looking from all angles as to how much time we have and with whom we can hold meetings. We will keep updating you about the meetings," he added. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113444882" title="Trump says PM Modi will meet him during US visit, calls him &amp;#39;fantastic&amp;#39;" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>What we do know with certainty is that Mr Modi is indeed scheduled to travel to the US over the weekend and his calendar is going to be jam-packed. His visit coincides with his planned participation at the <keyword id="23145156" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Quad-Leaders-Summit" source="keywords">Quad Leaders Summit</keyword> (including representatives from Australia, India, Japan and the US) in Wilmington, Delaware, hosted by President Joe Biden. As per a White House official, the meet-up will feature "ambitious announcements in multiple areas such as maritime security, high-quality infrastructure and critical and emerging technologies to demonstrate the group’s endurance". Prime Minister Modi will have bilateral meetings with President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday, following the conclusion of the Quad Summit. A special event, the Cancer Moonshot initiative, is also scheduled on the sidelines of the summit. In his meeting with President Biden, India and the US are anticipated to sign several agreements, including those related to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on drug frameworks. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that Modi and Biden will review the comprehensive global strategic partnership between India and the US, which spans over 50 areas of engagement and bilateral dialogue mechanisms. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113085171" title="India is likely to benefit if Trump wins US elections, per Nomura Global Research" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Both leaders will also assess progress in areas of cooperation, though tensions remain due to the alleged assassination plot involving Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The investigation is ongoing, and India has formed a committee to examine the accusations. This visit may serve to ease some of the friction in the relationship. Defence cooperation remains a key area of collaboration between India and the U.S., including agreements on the procurement of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, joint manufacturing of Stryker Infantry Combat Vehicles, and co-production of GE F414 engines in India. The Ukraine conflict is also expected to be a topic of discussion. Prime Minister Modi is supposed to attend the "Modi &amp; US" community event at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island. The event, already overbooked with more than 24,000 Indian Americans registered for a venue with a capacity of 15,000, has attracted attendees from 42 states, especially the tri-state area. Additionally, PM Modi will allegedly lead a roundtable with CEOs of American companies working in fields like AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, and cutting-edge technology. Lastly, on September 23, Modi will address global leaders at the United Nations' Summit of the Future (SOTF) and is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other heads of state attending the UN General Assembly. Obviously, squeezing in a meeting with Trump and Democrat Candidate Kamala Harris (you know, to balance things out) seems unlikely given Mr Modi’s tight schedule. But we’ll have a clearer picture only in the coming days. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111770277" title="PM Modi likely to address high-level UNGA session on Sep 26" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Why is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the US this weekend?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In a move likely to anger the US, Modi is visiting Russia.</li><li>It signals strong ties between the two countries and shows that India is pursuing its own agenda.</li></ul>In a move likely to anger the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia on Monday for his first bilateral trip after winning a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-election-results-complicates-plans-unseat-china-modi-bjp-2024-6">historic third term</a> in office.Modi's two-day visit to Russia — where he is scheduled to meet with President Vladimir Putin — is significant in that it signals strong ties between New Delhi and Moscow. It also shows the world that India is not afraid to pursue its own agenda.Vinay Kwatra, India's foreign secretary, told reporters in New Delhi that issues between Russia and India have "piled up" and "need to be addressed," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-07/putin-hosts-modi-after-hailing-best-in-history-ties-with-india-rival-china">Bloomberg reported</a>.Russia's relationship with India goes back to the Cold War, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/rise-in-trade-with-russia-not-a-temporary-phenomenon-s-jaishankar-429969-2024-05-17">trade between the two countries</a> has grown since Russia started the war in Ukraine. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russian-oil-india-purchases-us-crude-wti-sanctions-ukraine-war-2024-3">India is a major buyer of Russian oil</a>. Russia is also India's biggest arms supplier.Kwatra underscored that the two countries' trade relationship has remained "resilient."Still, Modi's trip will "rankle many Western observers," Ved Shinde, a researcher and contributor to Australia's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-modi-will-go-moscow">Lowy Institute</a>, wrote in a note on Wednesday."Since the Ukraine war began, India's purchase of cheap oil from Russia has been seen as profiting from troubles in the heart of Europe," Shinde added.<h2 id="05696275-c92a-4ee6-84e4-fd193ca99db2">Modi's visit to Russia will make the US look bad</h2>Just like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vietnam-russia-putin-visit-us-wary-manufacturing-supply-chain-diplomacy-2024-6">Putin's visit to supply-chain hot spot Vietnam</a>, India's engagement with Russia isn't a good look for the US, as it comes while Washington is trying to isolate Putin.The US has raised "some concerns" about India's relationship with Russia with New Delhi, Kurt Campbell, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.state.gov/special-online-briefing-with-deputy-secretary-of-state-kurt-m-campbell/">US deputy secretary of state</a>, said last month.However, Washington acknowledges that India's ties with Russia are different from its ties with the US."We have many areas of alignment, but it is not surprising that there would be areas where we've had perhaps different perspectives, views, historical ties," Campbell said about America's relationship with India.India, for its part, is looking to balance its relationship with the world's key powerbrokers: the US, Russia, and China."There are different degrees in India's multi-alignment. Make no mistake — the United States and its allies are more consequential for India's future than its relationship with Russia," Shinde wrote.India needs to leverage its historical ties with Russia to secure its economy and security, so Modi isn't just in Russia for a goodwill trip.<h2 id="c79db6fd-b57b-4ff5-8f16-bc16c77b8021">Reducing the trade imbalance</h2>A key agenda item for the visit is to reduce a huge bilateral trade imbalance, Kwatra said.India imports about $60 billion of goods a year from Russia, but Russia buys less than 10% of this amount from India, Bloomberg reported.Modi may also touch on China's activities in the Indo-Pacific region, Kwatra added.India is trying to manage its relationship with China, which has been testy since a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-border-clashes-could-cause-more-indian-ocean-activity-2020-7">border dispute in 2020</a>. Modi skipped the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kazakhstan last week.There's also the matter of Russia's ties with China.At the summit last week, Putin said <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/video/kazakhstan-china-government-russia-government-russia-5b1c1a8f402c400d8d703543b0562b51">Russia's relationship with China</a> is in the "best period in history."Modi now needs to cozy up to Putin to counter China's advances."The reason for the time-tested stability in India-Russia ties is to maintain a continental balance in the Eurasian heartland. That is, to balance China," Shinde wrote."Or to put it another way, don't go around making new adversaries when there are already two open fronts — China and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-and-china-pick-sides-in-tense-india-pakistan-rivalry-2022-3">Pakistan</a>," he added.

Modi's Russia visit shows India isn't worried about making the US mad

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Narendra Modi's party won far fewer seats than expected in India's election.</li><li>Modi's weakened majority may make it tougher for his government to push through reforms.</li></ul>Narendra Modi looks set to secure a historic third term leading Indian despite his party winning <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-election-results-narendra-modi-bjp-congress-2024-6">far fewer seats than exit polls had suggested</a>.The outcome sent <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/india-stock-market-news-narendra-modi-election-nse-nifty-50-2024-6">Mumbai-listed stocks plummeting</a> — and Modi's significantly weakened majority could be a source of concern for American businesses, too.Modi's decade as Prime Minister has often been controversial, with his vision of building a "divine India" fueling <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/05/india/india-modi-ram-temple-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html">a rise in Hindu nationalism</a> that's threatened to marginalize other religious groups.But his pro-growth, pro-business policies have boosted growth and drawn in huge amounts of foreign investment — as well as winning the support of some of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modi-india-election-economy-russia-oil-wealth-dimon-cook-musk-2024-5">loudest voices on Wall Street</a>."Modi has done an unbelievable job in India," JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-economy-inflation-recession-stagflation-geopolitics-crypto-bitcoin-2024-4">the Economic Club of New York</a> in April. "I know the liberal press here, they beat the hell out of him. He's taken 400 million people out of poverty."Elon Musk has also <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1781541775183610310">posted on X</a> about his desire to visit India and meet with Modi. The pair are expected to discuss Tesla's plan to build a multibillion-dollar new factory in the world's most-populated country.Meanwhile, Apple CEO Cook said on a November earnings call that India is an "incredibly exciting market" and a "major focus of ours" given the explosive growth in potential customers as locals get richer. Modi has also met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, and Alphabet's Sundar Pichai in recent years.<h2 id="cc1fb394-3381-4ed0-9ccc-2a81f77556e6">Political stability</h2>"I think most investors have read the tea leaves and have realized that some of the political stability and predictable policies that they expect, that they desire when it comes to making investment decisions, is likely to be available in India," Rajesh Kumar Singh, a trade official for India, told Business Insider in January at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/davos-global-elite-saying-about-ai-behind-closed-doors-2024-1">the World Economic Forum in Davos</a>."I think the trick for India is going to be political stability, going forward for a period of time — because I think a lot of the economic fundamentals are there," Andy Baldwin, a partner at EY, said at the same conference.But Modi's significantly reduced majority could erode that sense of stability and make it tougher for him to pass further pro-market reforms, analysts said on Tuesday.<h2 id="f9ebf5af-aee7-426d-b5c8-03320c6cb9dc">China hedge</h2>"The fear will be that if he has to rely on alliances with smaller parties, any market-friendly policies will be diluted," Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, wrote in a research note."Some may now worry that India's lofty earnings rating leaves it exposed on the downside now that the political narrative may not be quite as clear cut as once thought," he added.One appeal of India for the likes of Dimon, Musk, and Cook will likely have been Modi's firm grip on power, as USA Inc aims to hedge its bets on China given its strained relationship with the US and post-pandemic economic woes.The surprise election result could undermine that confidence.

Modi's election surprise raises questions about India for USA Inc 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk just made a quick trip to China, where he met with senior officials and struck a deal.</li><li>Trade tensions between China and the US have ratcheted up in the past year, including over EVs.</li></ul>Elon Musk's two-day trip to Beijing looks like a mutually beneficial win for Tesla and China — and a snub for India.The tech billionaire made his second trip to China in less than a year. He left on Monday after meeting with senior officials, including Premier Li Qiang, China's second-highest-ranking politician, to discuss the rollout of Tesla's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-fsd">Full Self-Driving technology</a> in the world's biggest auto market.China's search-engine giant Baidu agreed to grant Tesla access to its mapping license so Tesla could collect data on China's roads, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/baidu-tesla-agree-mapping-deal-fsd-china-sources-say-2024-04-29/">Reuters</a> reported. And Tesla's vehicles cleared a key hurdle with a Chinese data-security regulator on Monday.That's a big step for Tesla toward launching FSD in the country, a potential revenue booster just as the company wraps up one of its most tumultuous months. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/tsla-stock">Tesla's stock</a> is down 23% year to date.In April, Tesla reported <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-having-terrible-year-tesla-lawsuits-compensation-2024-4">disappointing first-quarter deliveries</a>, went through a messy <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-cancels-some-layoff-separation-agreements-2024-4">10% global layoff</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-recalls-cybertrucks-accelerator-fault-pad-pedal-electric-vehicle-truck-2024-4">recalled nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks</a> because of faulty accelerators, and cut prices — a move reciprocated by <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-waging-price-war-against-chinese-rivals-2024-4">Chinese electric-vehicle rivals</a>, which cut theirs even further.Tesla has about 1.6 million cars in China, representing a huge potential market for FSD. Other carmakers could also pay to license the technology.The Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/a2104f00-d9c8-4999-9400-7a712d022f79">Financial Times</a> that the FSD approval in China was a "watershed moment" for Tesla. Ives said the company's huge valuation — hundreds of billions of dollars more than other automakers — hinged on autonomous technology.Local regulators may keep a particularly close eye on Tesla's software. In January, the company had to <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tesla-recalls-over-1-6-million-cars-in-china-to-fix-autopilot-locks-1032947021">recall all of its cars</a> in China made from 2014 to 2023 to fix problems with its Autopilot feature and locks. Both problems could be fixed with a free software update.<h2>A win for China and a slight for India</h2>Musk has long been eager to make nice with China, sometimes with antics that would raise eyebrows for other CEOs.To celebrate a new Shanghai factory in 2020, he performed what a Business Insider reporter at the time deemed a "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-just-dad-danced-at-teslas-new-shanghai-gigafactory-2020-1">dad-dance striptease</a>." On the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-marvels-at-chinas-economic-prosperity-communist-party-anniversary-2021-7">100th anniversary of the Communist Party</a> in 2021, he tweeted fawning praise of the country.China, for its part, has given him a royal welcome on past trips. His trip in May last year included a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-china-trip-feast-restaurant-beijing-2023-5">16-course meal</a> with a battery executive and a storm of local social-media praise.As Tesla expands in China, the country must balance its desire to work with the US juggernaut with its inclination to protect local giants such as BYD. In the first quarter, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-manufacturers-profits-dip-carmakers-surge-us-concern-overproduction-factory-2024-4">Chinese automakers' profit jumped 32%</a> from a year ago, according to statistics released Saturday.Musk needs China, but China also needs Musk as a sign that the country is open for business with high-profile US companies.Trade tensions between China and the US have ratcheted up in the past year amid US concerns about Chinese manufacturing and data security.Janet Yellen, the US treasury secretary, and Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, have each visited China in the past month. They warned of Chinese companies undercutting other manufacturers through overproduction, including in EV and battery production.China has ramped up EV production, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-xi-jinping-crush-tesla-elon-musk-american-ev-industry-2024-2">major threat to Tesla</a>. BYD beat Tesla as the best-selling EV maker last year, and Musk said in January that Chinese EVs would "pretty much demolish" other American carmakers if allowed to enter the US.Tesla's work in China may help the country court foreign investment. Businesses have been scared off by government crackdowns — including raids on top global firms such as Bain — and by roiling property and stock markets. This year, weakened consumer demand has hit companies such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gucci-kering-income-decline-stock-down-hit-china-sales-slump-2024-4">Gucci</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-china-iphone-shipments-fell-february-data-smartphones-2024-3">Apple</a>, which have built big businesses as Chinese consumers' disposable income has risen.While Musk made time for this quick trip to Beijing, he skipped a planned trip to India earlier this month to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Musk's visit was going to include an announcement about Tesla entering India, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/teslas-elon-musk-postpones-india-trip-sources-say-2024-04-20/">Reuters</a> reported."Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year," Musk posted on X.A key Tesla executive who was helping to lead the company's entrance into India left this month, Reuters reported.Musk's India visit would have been a win for Modi, who's seeking to boost India's status as a manufacturing hub, especially as businesses leave China.

Musk's visit to China was a much-needed win for both sides &mdash; and a snub to India      

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Indian economy has grown strongly under Narendra Modi, whose party is set to win another term.</li><li>India's success has caught the eye of figures including Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, and Tim Cook.</li></ul>India's powerful economic growth and blossoming middle class under Narendra Modi have caught the eye of corporate titans like Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, and Tim Cook.Modi is pretty much a shoo-in for a third term as prime minister after the national election now underway ends on June 1. But the work starts there, as he'll have to navigate thorny issues such as youth unemployment, income inequality, and reliance on sanctioned Russian oil.<h2>Fueling growth and shaking hands</h2>India's economy has more than doubled in size during Modi's decade in charge to more than $3.7 trillion last year.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/04/29/asias-growth-and-inflation-outlook-improves-but-risks-remain">recently upgraded</a> its growth forecast for real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to a robust 7.8% this year, 6.8% in 2025, and 6.5% in 2026.India has already overtaken Britain to become the world's fifth-largest economy. It's on track to leapfrog Japan and Germany into third spot behind the US and China by 2027.The country's flagship stock index has also tripled in value since Modi took office in May 2014, thanks to wealth gains and growing investment appetites.Moreover, <a target="_blank" href="https://sbi.co.in/documents/13958/36530824/270224-HCES_Feb24.pdf">one estimate</a> puts the percentage of the Indian population living on less than $2.15 a day at below 5%, down from 12% in 2011. However, the <a target="_blank" href="https://pip.worldbank.org/country-profiles/IND">World Bank</a> pegged that figure at nearly 13% in 2021.India's middle class has also ballooned with 60 million people now earning the rupee equivalent of more $10,000 a year — about $37,200 once adjusted for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/profile/IND">purchasing power</a>. Goldman Sachs <a target="_blank" href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/indias-affluent-population-is-likely-to-hit-100-million-by-2027.html">expects</a> the ranks of the relatively affluent to swell to 100 million by 2027."Modi has done an unbelievable job in India," JPMorgan's Dimon <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-economy-inflation-recession-stagflation-geopolitics-crypto-bitcoin-2024-4">told</a> the Economic Club of New York last month. "I know the liberal press here, they beat the hell out of him. He's taken 400 million people out of poverty."Musk has <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1781541775183610310">posted</a> on X that he's looking forward to visiting India and meeting Modi this year. He delayed his trip last month, blaming "very heavy Tesla obligations." The pair are expected to discuss Tesla building a multibillion-dollar factory in the country.As for Apple's Cook, he hailed India on a November earnings call as an "incredibly exciting market" and a "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tim-cook-obsessed-india-consumers-iphone-2023-7">major focus of ours</a>" given the explosive growth in potential customers as locals get richer.<div type="image" title="Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden" height="3907" width="5861" msid="109838230" hostid="261" sizebytes="846512"></div>Modi has also met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, and Alphabet's Sundar Pichai. He's likely to be seeking to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in India — and to capitalize on bosses' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-china-relations-reshoring-manufacturing-jobs-made-in-america-2023-10">desire to hedge their bets on China</a> given its strained relationship with the US, economic woes, and how disruptive its strict pandemic lockdowns were to global supply chains."India's population and economic growth numbers are causing a lot of global executives to revisit their India presence and consider scaling up," Richard Rossow, a senior advisor and chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic &amp; International Studies, told Business Insider."Paired with increased concerns about supply chain resilience and security concerns about China, it's a very good time for a hard push to win investments."The United Nations said that India and China both had a population of 1.426 billion in April last year, meaning India is probably now the most populous given its rising birth rate.<h2>Change for the better — mostly</h2>Modi has instigated a raft of major economic reforms since taking office, intended to make India more business-friendly, and boost government revenues by taxing more of the country's vast informal economy.He rolled out a tax on goods and services, simplified bankruptcy laws, lifted FDI restrictions, cut corporate income tax, and ended retrospective taxation.However, not all of Modi's moves spurred growth."Demonetisation was a key economic policy which had negative effects on the economy," Kunal Sen, a director of the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics, told BI.Sen is the author of several books about India's economy and a professor of development economics at the University of Manchester.He was referring to Modi's sudden declaration in November 2016 that all 500 and 1,000-rupee bills — 86% of Indian currency in circulation — would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-ending-500-and-1000-rupee-bills-to-fight-corruption-2016-11">no longer be accepted as legal tender</a>.The government's goals were to capture undeclared income, get rid of counterfeit currency, broaden the tax base, and bring more activities into the formal economy."The other key economic policy was JAM — the trinity of bank accounts for the poor, mobile numbers and a biometric card. This last economic policy has been revolutionary," Sen said.He was hailing a broader digitization drive under Modi that has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/how-indias-digital-payments-ecosystem-has-evolved-in-the-last-one-year/slidelist/90595832.cms">transformed</a> how Indians bank, invest, pay their taxes, and conduct business.<h2>Prosperity for all</h2>Modi's efforts have helped to usher in a more prosperous era for some Indians, but many have been left behind.Young people are India's beating heart, with about half its population under 25 and almost two-thirds under 35. Matching those hundreds of millions of people with jobs has proven a challenge, with youth unemployment almost tripling from below 6% in 2000 to about 18% in 2019. It still stands at a hefty 10% in 2023, per the <a target="_blank" href="https://webapps.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---sro-new_delhi/documents/publication/wcms_921154.pdf">International Labor Organization</a>.The report found that nearly 30% of India's graduates were unemployed in 2022, and only about 10% of the working-age population was formally employed.<div type="image" title="A farmer uses oxen to plow fields for lentils in Nimaj, Rajasthan, northern India." height="3464" width="5196" msid="109838232" hostid="261" sizebytes="690700"></div>"Unemployment is a big issue," Rossow said, emphasizing this isn't just a problem with recent graduates but a "much, much larger bubble: the underemployed farm laborers."Rising agricultural productivity is likely to help farm workers make a faster transition to city life in the years ahead, but they'll struggle to secure modern jobs in the services industry "without significant reskilling and education," Rossow said.As a result, lower-skilled manufacturing and assembly jobs and lower-end services jobs will be needed, he added.Another major challenge will be tackling a widening wealth divide. The richest 10% of the population hold more than 72% of the nation's wealth, per an Oxfam report <a target="_blank" href="https://d1ns4ht6ytuzzo.cloudfront.net/oxfamdata/oxfamdatapublic/2023-01/India%20Supplement%202023_digital.pdf?">published</a> last year.Business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani both rank among the world's 15 richest people, per the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">Bloomberg Billionaires Index</a>. Luxury-goods sales are booming with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.carwale.com/news/mercedesbenz-lineups-waiting-period-reduced-in-india/">long waitlists</a> for flashy purchases like the Mercedes "G Wagon."<div type="image" title="The Ambani family onstage with Rihanna." height="854" width="1280" msid="109838233" hostid="261" sizebytes="99148"></div>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anant-ambani-pre-wedding-festivities-lack-empathy-india-radhika-merchant-2024-3">lavish pre-wedding party</a> thrown by the Ambani family earlier this year was singled out by some as an affront to the huge number of Indians living in poverty.Almost 1.3 billion people live on less than $3,500 a year by one estimate, and India ranks 111th on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/ranking.html">Global Hunger Index</a>, below even North Korea.Rising equality is partly explained by a "capital-intensive mode of economic growth along with increasing power of business conglomerates," Sen told BI, referring to how huge companies like the Adani Group secure huge government contracts to build ports, bridges, highways, and other infrastructure.A third challenge is regional inequality, as some states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh haven't experienced the same growth and modernization of their economies as others, Rossow said.<h2>The Russia riddle</h2>One striking aspect of Modi's economic boom has been its reliance on Russia since it invaded Ukraine in early 2022.India went from getting 2% of its crude oil from Russia before the war, to 35% last year. During that period, the US and Europe slapped sanctions on Russian oil to defund Putin's military machine and punish Moscow for attacking a sovereign nation.Despite that, India purchased an estimated $37 billion of Moscow's oil in 2023 — 13 times the amount it bought annually prior to the conflict. Its buying helped Russia rake in a <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-economy-oil-sales-india-ukraine-war-moscow-western-sanctions-2024-2">record $320 billion</a> of federal revenue last year.Indian demand for Russian oil has <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-oil-trade-crude-india-discount-barrel-sanctions-price-cap-2024-2">cooled</a> in recent months as new sanctions have made it <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-economy-oil-energy-exports-india-imports-revenue-sanctions-discount-2024-3">more expensive</a>, but the buying remains controversial.Officials in India have <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/crude-oil-prices-india-russia-trade-geopolitics-opec-supply-puri-2024-2">defended</a> the purchases, saying that if they'd bought Middle Eastern oil instead, global crude prices would have shot up.India is also one of the world's largest oil refiners and has helped Western nations to maintain access to refined petroleum products even as they're refraining from buying Russian crude directly.Yet the country imports 85% of its oil, so its overriding interest is securing the cheapest oil possible to support its development, said Neelima Jain, a senior fellow and chair in US India Policy Studies at CSIS."India will continue to buy Russian oil if the price remains favorable and allows for firm volume guarantees, as the country prioritizes energy affordability and accessibility during its rapid rural-to-urban transition, which has led to a 6% year-on-year growth in energy demand," she told BI."In an inflationary environment, economics [rather] than geopolitics will drive India's energy choices."<div type="image" title="Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin" height="3196" width="4714" msid="109838234" hostid="261" sizebytes="426292"></div><h2>India the IT hub</h2>Under Modi, India has made big strides in modernizing its economy, combating bureaucracy, and appealing to foreign investors.Big Tech stalwarts like Microsoft have a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-has-so-many-patents-its-outsourced-the-job-to-india-2013-5">long history</a> of outsourcing to India, but recent efforts to cut red tape and slash corporate taxes appear to have fueled fresh interest.Sweeping layoffs at Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Salesforce and other US tech titans in the past few years could presage a large exodus of jobs to India.Sanjay Shetty of Randstad India <a target="_blank" href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/outsourcing-hubs-like-india-to-bag-40-of-jobs-lost-to-layoffs/articleshow/101088673.cms?">told The Economic Times</a> last summer that he expected 30% to 40% of the tech jobs eliminated globally to move to India by 2025."India is going to be the biggest gainer in the medium to long term, as almost every company that we speak to is looking at expanding its India base," Shetty said.Even if that pans out, it won't be a panacea for a country facing not just unemployment and underemployment, but also stark income inequality, regional disparities, and the risk of alienating Western allies by continuing to buy Russian oil.Yet overall, India appears to be headed in the right direction."The growth is real, if focused on a few key states," Rossow said. "India's dynamic technology services sector is to IT services what China is to manufacturing. So there is much to cheer, even as the reform agenda seems to never end."

You Searched For "modi foreign visits" and got 5 results

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