Washington DC: Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur of Indian descent and a Republican leader, expressed that he had a "great meeting" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Blair House, describing it as a "pleasure and honor" to host the Prime Minister in the United States.
He conveyed his hopes for PM Modi to have a "wonderful visit" during his time in the U.S. "It was a pleasure and honor to welcome Prime Minister Modi here. I hope he has a wonderful visit, and it was a great meeting," Ramaswamy stated to ANI following their bilateral discussions.
During their meeting, Prime Minister Modi and Ramaswamy engaged in discussions regarding India-U.S. relations, innovation, and biotechnology.
"PM @narendramodi met with @VivekGRamaswamy at Blair House today. They had insightful discussions on India-U.S. ties, innovation, biotechnology, and the role of entrepreneurship in shaping the future," said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, in a post on X.
Ramaswamy had previously been a candidate for the presidency but later withdrew from the race. The Indian-origin entrepreneur gained recognition for his dynamic debate performances and subsequently endorsed Donald Trump, whom he referred to as the "best president of the 21st century."
He was also appointed to co-lead the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk but later resigned from the position, reportedly due to disagreements with the Tesla CEO.
PM Modi, who arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday (local time), is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House later today.
This marks PM Modi's inaugural visit to the United States following Donald Trump's re-election. Upon his arrival at the airport, he was welcomed by India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, along with other officials.
Upon landing in the US, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to engage with the US President and to enhance the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
In his statement prior to departure, PM Modi highlighted that this visit presents a chance to build on the achievements from his first term and to establish a framework for further strengthening and deepening the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
