"This is the moment...": Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on PM Modi's visit to US

New Delhi [India], June 24 : Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that if a bilateral visit through critical definition produces a new dawn (India-US relations), then this was that visit, terming it "the moment".

While interacting with the media, Hardeep Singh Puri said, "This is the moment. If a bilateral visit through critical definition produces a new dawn (India-US relations), this was that visit. AI is the future, America-India is the future."

With the technology cooperation between India and the US gaining new heights, President Joe Biden on Friday gifted Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a special T-shirt which had PM Modi's famous quote "The future is AI-America and India".

Addressing the joint session of the US Congress for a historic second time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that it is an exceptional privilege to do it twice, adding, "A lot has changed since I came here seven summers ago. But a lot has remained the same - like our commitment to deepen the friendship between India and the United States. In the past few years, there have been many advances in AI - Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, there have been even more momentous developments in another AI- America and India."

PM Modi coined a new acronym to showcase the technological cooperation between US and India saying that there has been even more momentous development in another AI- America and India.

PM Modi addressed the joint sitting of the US Congress on June 22, saying "The US is the oldest and India the largest democracy," adding, "Our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy."

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given this T-shirt by President Biden, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra, Apple CEO Tim Cook and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were present at the event, amongst many others.

During his historic second address at the US Congress yesterday, PM Modi also said, "Now, when our era is at crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century."

PM Modi's first visit to the US took place in 2014, during which he had a working visit and delivered his inaugural speech at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In 2016, he returned to attend the Nuclear Security Summit and held a meeting with then-President Barack Obama at the White House. That same year, PM Modi made another trip to the US and addressed a range of topics, including terrorism, climate change, and the strong Indo-US partnership, in his first speech to the US Congress.