But in wooing Mr. Modi, it was clear that Mr. Biden was taking a soft approach to backsliding on democracy in India, where the government has cracked down on dissent and hounded opponents. He will raise human rights issues, officials said, but they used the word “respectful” more than once to characterize the president’s approach.
They considered it a victory that the administration had persuaded Mr. Modi, who famously refuses to hold news conferences, to meet with reporters alongside Mr. Biden, as most major world leaders do when they visit the White House. Even then, the White House avoided using the term “news conference”; its public schedule said the leaders would “take questions from the press” in the East Room.
The state dinner, only the third of Mr. Biden’s presidency, will be held on the South Lawn in a pavilion draped in green with saffron-colored flowers at every table, the colors of the Indian flag. Lotus blooms, an important symbol in India, will be incorporated throughout the décor. Images of the bald eagle and the peacock, the national birds of the two countries, will be displayed as the backdrop when the leaders offer their traditional toasts.
The menu will be vegetarian, in accordance with Mr. Modi’s diet, with an optional fish entree. The first course will be a marinated millet and grilled corn kernel salad with compressed watermelon and avocado sauce, followed by a main course of stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy saffron-infused risotto. A sumac-roasted sea bass will be available upon request. A rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake will be served for dessert.
Joshua Bell, the Grammy-winning violinist, will perform, as will Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Marine Band chamber orchestra.
“After years of strengthening ties, the U.S.-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges,” Dr. Biden told reporters on Wednesday in previewing the event. “But our relationship isn’t only about the government. We’re celebrating the families and friendships that span the globe, those who feel the bonds of home, in both of our countries.”
