US Releases Details of Gifts by PM Modi to US Leaders
Silver train set, pashmina shawls, and cultural artefacts listed in official 2024 foreign gifts report
- US State Department releases official list of foreign gifts received in 2024
- PM Modi gifted silver train set worth USD 7,750 to Joe Biden
- Pashmina shawl to Jill Biden, Raas Leela silver box to Kamala Harris
- Most gifts transferred to US National Archives as per protocol
GG News Bureau
Washington, 30th Jan: The US State Department has released a comprehensive compilation of gifts presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior Indian officials to US leaders, including former President Joe Biden, during calendar year 2024.
The list, submitted by the Office of the Chief of Protocol, includes tangible gifts as well as travel-related items received from foreign governments, in line with US legal requirements. For 2024, gifts valued above the “minimal value” threshold of USD 480 are required to be disclosed.
Among the items listed is a “Wood Chest, Scarf, Saffron with Jar, Wood Box for Tea” gifted by Prime Minister Modi to President Biden on September 10, 2023, with an estimated value of USD 562. The non-perishable items were transferred to the US National Archives (NARA), while the perishable items, including saffron and tea, were disposed of as per US Secret Service policies. President Biden had visited New Delhi for the G20 Leaders’ Summit at the time.
Another high-value gift was a Sterling Silver Metal Train Set, presented by Modi to Biden on July 16, 2024, valued at USD 7,750, which has also been transferred to the National Archives.
The report further states that former First Lady Jill Biden received a Pashmina Shawl from Modi on October 21, 2024, valued at USD 2,969, which was transferred to NARA.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris received a “Lord Krishna Raas Leela Silver Box” from Modi on October 18, 2024, valued at USD 1,330, while her husband, former Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, received cufflinks valued at USD 585.65. Both items were transferred to the National Archives.
The compilation also lists a gift from National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to then US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan — a Kashmir Pashmina Scarf with Box, valued at USD 599, which was transferred to the General Services Administration (GSA).
Separately, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had gifted a Shiva Nataraja Bronze Statue to then US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, valued at USD 3,700, which is listed as pending transfer to GSA.
Under the section on justification for acceptance, the State Department noted that such gifts are accepted when non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to the donor and the United States, in accordance with established diplomatic protocol.
The disclosure offers a rare public glimpse into the cultural and diplomatic exchanges that accompany high-level India–US engagements.
