7th US Prez to visit India in 60 years
Dwight D Eisenhower
- December 9-14, 1959
It was a landmark maiden visit by an American president and Eisenhower was greeted with a 21-gun salute when he landed in the national capital. He met the then President Rajendra Prasad and PM Jawaharlal Nehru. He delivered a public speech at Delhi’s Ramlila Ground and addressed members of Parliament. He visited the Taj Mahal in Agra with PM Nehru accompanying him to the iconic monument.
Richard Nixon
- July 31-August 1, 1969
Nixon’s visit to India could not match the euphoria and excitement of Eisenhower’s. He stayed in the country for less than a day. The visit achieved little with Nixon siding with Pakistan at the time of the 1971 Bangladesh war.
Jimmy Carter
- January 1-3, 1978
Carter’s visit came just months after Janata Party’s Morarji Desai succeeded Indira Gandhi as PM. During the three-day visit, President Carter addressed Parliament and visited a village near Delhi which was later named after him. His visit was aimed at mending ties between India and the US against the backdrop of the 1971 Bangladesh war and the 1974 nuclear tests.
Bill Clinton
- March 19-25, 2000
This was a presidential visit over two decades and many regard it as a game-changing event during which Clinton and PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee set the tone for deepening of bilateral ties.It came at a tricky time in the backdrop of the US imposing sanctions on India following its 1999 nuclear test and the Kargil war. The visit signified the beginning of Indo-US strategic and economic partnership. He also addressed Parliament.
George W Bush
- March 1-3, 2006
Bush and First Lady Laura Bush visited during PM Manmohan Singh’s first term in office. Bush delivered a speech before a select audience at Delhi’s Purana Qila. The visit will be remembered for finalisation of nuclear deal.
Barack Obama
- November 6–9, 2010
- January 24-27, 2015
In a break from the past, Obama landed in Mumbai. The message was a show of solidarity with victims of the Mumbai attacks. Obama expressed support for India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC. In 2015, when Obama again visited, he became the first US President to visit the country twice while in office. Obama was also the first US President to be chief guest at India’s Republic Day Parade.
