White House: Corporate leaders, lawmakers among guests at State Dinner hosted for PM Modi

Big names in the tech world, film and fashion industry as well as billionaire industrialists were among those invited to the State Dinner hosted in the honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday.

The menu, comprising mostly vegetarian dishes, taking note of the dietary restrictions of the visiting prime minister, included marinated millets, stuffed mushrooms, grilled corn kernel salad and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake.

More than 400 guests were invited for the dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a specially decorated pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House.

In his address at the State Dinner, Prime Minister Modi said the guests here symbolise so much about the US-India relationship - our energy, our dynamism, and our potential".

"You have gathered a group of exceptionally talented and remarkable people tonight, I must commend you for that," he said thanking President Biden and the first lady for hosting the dinner. Modi spoke in Hindi with the speech being translated to English.

Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Anand Mahindra, Apple CEO Tim Cook and corporate leader Indira Nooyi were among the guests. CEOs of Google, Microsoft and Adobe -- Sunder Pichai, Satya Nadella and Shantanu Narayen -- also attended the event.

The first course of the State Dinner included marinated millet, grilled corn kernel salad, compressed watermelon and a tangy avocado sauce and the main course had stuffed portobello mushrooms and a creamy saffron-infused risotto.

Dishes on request of guests included sumac-roasted sea bass, lemon-dill yogurt sauce, crisped millet cakes and summer squashes. For dessert, rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake was served. Wines on the list were Stone Tower Chardonnay "Kristi" 2021, PATEL Red Blend 2019 and Domain Carneros Brut Rose.

The guest list also included human rights activist Martin Luther King III, tennis legend Billie Jean King, filmmaker M Night Shyamalan, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, Grammy award winner Joshua Bell and entrepreneur Frank Islam.

Indian Americans lawmakers on the list were Pramila Jayapal, Shri Thanedar, Ro Khanna, Ami Bera and Raja Krishnamoorthi.

Members of the Biden family at the dinner included Hunter Biden, Ashley Biden, James Biden and Naomi Biden Neal. Vice President Kamala Harris, who will host a luncheon for Prime Minister Modi, was also present.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the dinner along with US diplomats and members of the Biden administration.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady.

White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the dinner on Wednesday, had said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step. Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guest's experience personal and warm, Elizondo had said. The decor of the venue features elements that honour the tradition and cultures of the US and India, including the Indian flag, he had said.