On Thursday, June 22, AAHOA Officers were among the hundreds of esteemed guests who welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington, D.C., for his first official state visit. 

“The people of the Indian community are enhancing India’s glory in the U.S. through their talent, hard work, and dedication,” Prime Minister Modi said during the welcome ceremony at the White House South Lawn on Thursday morning. “[They] are the real strength of our relationship. I thank President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden for the honor [the community] has been given today.”

Many of the 20,000 AAHOA Members are primarily of Indian descent and collectively own 60% of the U.S. hotels and are responsible for 1.7% of the nation’s GDP. 

Prime Minister Modi capped off his visit with a historic joint address to Congress. 

“It was an incredible honor to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Joint Meeting of Congress in the House Chambers, as he delivered a visionary address emphasizing the importance of bridging nations, inspiring change, and creating a better future through innovation, sustainable development, and collective action,” AAHOA Vice Chairman Miraj Patel shared on LinkedIn. 

AAHOA will be releasing more details and takeaways from Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit in the coming days. In the meantime, please review the following resources to learn more about the mutual progress between the U.S. and India and its impact on AAHOA Members. 

• Press release: AAHOA Applauds House Speaker McCarthy for Inviting Indian PM Modi to Address Congress

• Press release: AAHOA Leaders to Attend Joint Session of Congress and White House Ceremony in Support of U.S.-India Bilateral Relationship

• HospitalityNet: AAHOA Leaders to Attend Joint Session of Congress and White House Ceremony in Support of U.S.-India Bilateral Relationship

• Watch: India’s Prime Minister Modi Delivers Remarks at Joint Meeting of Congress