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Associated Press

Titans of business, fashion, entertainment and more made the guest list for Thursday’s big White House dinner in honour of India’s Narendra Modi, with the likes of designer Ralph Lauren, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and tennis legend Billie Jean King rubbing shoulders with tech leaders from Apple, Google and Microsoft.
Shyamalan powered past reporters as he arrived, declaring it “lovely” to be at the White House.
Lauren, who paired his tuxedo with grey New Balance sneakers, revealed he’d designed first lady Jill Biden’s off-shoulder green gown, calling her style “chic and elegant”.
And violinist Joshua Bell, part of the after-dinner entertainment, said the evening was a “little different than anything I’ve done before”.

“I’ll skip out and practice for half an hour” during dinner, Bell said. He said he wished he could perform first and then have some wine.
Saris – some thoroughly modern and including a Barbiecore hot pink one – and sequins were prominent among those attending the splashy, black-tie event, with a guest list of about 400 names heavy with prominent Indian Americans.
Politicians of both parties also made the cut, notably including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Biden defends his calling Xi a dictator as Modi feted with state visit
Other notables included social media influencer Jay Shetty, big Democratic donors like Florida lawyer John Morgan and civil rights activist Martin Luther King III. The CEO contingent included Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.
Guest dining on a plant-based menu of millet, Portobello mushrooms and strawberry shortcake, catering to the vegetarian tastes of the prime minister. For guests wanting something more, there was roast sea bass available on request.
Despite deep differences over human rights and India’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Joe Biden extended to Modi the administration’s third invitation for a state visit. It included the state dinner, a high diplomatic honour that the US reserves for its closest allies.

Biden hopes all the pomp and attention being lavished on Modi – from the thousands who gathered on the White House lawn to cheer his arrival in the morning to the splashy dinner at the end of the day – will help him firm up relations with the leader of a country the US believes will be a pivotal force in Asia for decades to come.
Guests were riding trolley cars down to a pavilion erected on the White House south grounds decorated in the green and saffron colours of India’s flag.
Despite concerns about backsliding on democracy in India, Democrat congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said she was attending to send the message that the nation of 1.4 billion people is important and “we must call out some of the real issues that are threatening the viability of democracy in all of our countries”.
India’s Gandhi takes a swipe at ‘nasty’ Modi in US for his ‘not Indian values’
A group of more than 70 lawmakers, organised by Jayapal, wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms with Modi.
Jayapal, who praised Modi’s leadership skills, told Associated Press earlier that Modi “has the ability to move India and the people in his party back to the values that we have held so dear as a country”
Pichai said he looked forward to the dinner as “an exciting time for US-India relations.”

“I think we have two countries which have a lot of shared foundations, large democratic systems and values,” Pichai said earlier Thursday in an interview. He cited technology as one area of mutual interest between the nations. “So I think it’s an exciting opportunity. I’m glad there is a lot of investment in a bilateral relationship.”
Jill Biden enlisted California-based chef Nancy Curtis to help in the kitchen. Curtis specialises in plant-based cooking and said the menu “showcases the best of American cuisine seasoned with Indian elements and flavours”. Saffron risotto accompanied the mushroom main course, and dessert was infused with cardamom and rose syrup. She used millet because India is leading an international year of recognition for the grain.
Lotus flowers, which are native to Asia and featured in Indian design, were visible throughout the pavilion, along with saffron-hued floral arrangements that differed from table to table.
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“We hope guests feel as if someone has set that table just for them – because we have,” the first lady said as she and her staff previewed the setup.
After-dinner entertainment was from Bell; Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania; and the US Marine Band Chamber Orchestra.
India was last honoured with a state visit in 2009, when President Barack Obama pulled out all the stops for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. More than 300 guests attended what was the first big social event of the new administration.
But it made headlines worldwide after a celebrity-seeking husband and wife were admitted, even though they were not invited, and were able to interact with both leaders.
The embarrassing episode led the White House and US Secret Service, which protects the president and the executive mansion, to overhaul its clearance and security procedures.


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US-India relations

Modi’s moment: India’s PM gets big White House dinner on state visit

US President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi raise a toast at the White House. Photo: Reuters

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House. Photo: AP

Google’s Sundar Pichai and Anjali Pichai arrive for an official state dinner. Photo: AFP

A dish from the menu. Photo: Reuters

Joe Biden defends his calling China’s Xi Jinping a dictator as India’s Narendra Modi gets state visit

US President Joe Biden (right) speaks during a White House press conference alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AP

Narendra Modi, who has held India’s highest office since 2014, has faced criticism over the country’s human rights record. Photo: Reuters

With China in mind, Biden and Modi to seal deals from space to chips, 5G to critical minerals

US President Joe Biden talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives at the White House for a private dinner on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Narendra Modi greets supporters as he arrives in New York on Tuesday. Photo: AP

As Narendra Modi arrives in US, White House says invitation ‘is not about sending a message to China’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets supporters as he arrives at his hotel in New York on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

US Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, says she will not attend Modi’s address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

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Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for India’s Narendra Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency
White House guests included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella


US President Joe Biden extended to Narendra Modi the administration’s third invitation for a state visit. It included the state dinner, a high diplomatic honour that the US reserves for its closest allies.


Modi’s moment: India’s PM gets big White House dinner on state visit

Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for India’s Narendra Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency White House guests included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella

Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for India’s Narendra Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency

White House guests included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella