As PM Narendra Modi visits the United States of America from September 21-23, Gokul Kunnath, an NRI from Atlanta, recalled Modi’s fascination with technology which he saw during his 1997 visit.
Kunnath, who was hosting Modi, recounted how he had asked Modi if there was anything he wanted from the US. Modi’s response was simple yet revealing: he asked for a microcomputer. “This device could store 3,000-4,000 names, phone numbers, and addresses. Even then, Modi was focused on how technology could help him organise and advance his work within the BJP,” Kunnath said.
Kanchan Banerjee, a US-based healthcare professional accompanying Modi, then a young RSS pracharak, during his 1993 visit, recalled their trip to the American space agency NASA in Houston, Texas. Banerjee introduced Modi to Kamlesh Lalaji, a senior figure at NASA, and invited him to explore the world of space and aeronautics. Banerjee was struck by Modi’s intense curiosity.
“He was asking questions as if he were a physicist,” Banerjee recalls. “His understanding of science and space was remarkable, and the complexity of his questions took me by surprise.”
Beyond his fascination with science, Modi’s simplicity and self-reliance were also clear during this visit.
Banerjee shares that Modi travelled with just a small bag containing two pairs of clothes and a camera, a reflection of his passion for photography. Despite staying at others’ homes, Modi never imposed on his hosts. “When my wife offered to wash his clothes, he politely refused, insisting that he would do it himself,” Banerjee says. “That sense of self-reliance, ingrained from his time as a pracharak, was a core part of his character.”
During his travels, Modi also demonstrated an early interest in solar and green energy. In Boston, during discussions with scientists, he pointed out a key issue with solar panels being installed on cultivable land, which rendered the land useless for farming. Modi suggested placing solar panels over irrigation canals instead, which would both save land and reduce water evaporation from the canals. This idea was later implemented in India, showing his foresight in sustainable development.
Modi also witnessed automated toll booths for the first time during his visit to Boston, recognising their potential for eliminating human error and reducing corruption. He quickly saw how these innovations could be adapted to India, not by simply copying, but by tailoring them to the country’s needs.
Banerjee recalls that Modi’s travels through major US cities, including New York, Chicago, and Atlanta, left a lasting impact on him.
“I’m sure he must have felt pained seeing India’s poverty and backwardness during those times,” Banerjee says. Modi’s experience likely fuelled his focus on development, understanding that improving basic living standards was essential to lifting people out of poverty.
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