Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with global media owners and investors in New York in the last week of this month, which will be hosted by media baron Rupert Murdoch.
The Murdoch family, which also includes his sons Lachlan and James, controls News Corp and 21st Century Fox — multinational companies that dominate the publishing, broadcasting and entertainment industries in several countries.
Mr. Modi, during his seven-day tour of the United States starting on September 23, will also visit the campuses of Facebook and Google in Silicon Valley. A Facebook executive said the schedule has not been finalised yet.
Mr. Modi is expected to meet the U.S. President Barack Obama on September 28 in New York, but the White House has not confirmed the time yet.
Sources said the White House was flooded with requests from numerous world leaders who converge on New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly in the last week of September. On September 28, Mr. Obama is scheduled to address a special summit on U.N. peacekeeping.
James Murdoch has been an admirer of Mr. Modi and the two have met several times. The Murdochs have been advocates of higher FDI ceilings in the media industry and are keen on expanding their presence in India. But this meeting will have no specific agenda, said a News Corp executive. India allows foreigners a controlling stake only in the entertainment broadcast sector, while allowing only 26 per cent FDI in news and current affairs broadcast and the entire spectrum of the print media. The meeting fits well with Mr. Modi’s emphasis on soft power to strengthen India’s diplomatic relations.
Mr. Modi’s Silicon Valley tour on September 26 and 27 will also include meetings with Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, and Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai.
