The United States State Department has released an official list detailing gifts received by American leaders from Indian government representatives during calendar year 2024, offering a rare public look into diplomatic exchanges between the two countries.
According to the Office of the Chief of Protocol at the US Department of State, the compilation includes both tangible gifts and gifts related to travel or travel expenses that exceeded the minimal value threshold of USD 480. Under US law, federal employees are required to report such gifts, and most high-value items are transferred to government archives.
Among the notable entries is a set gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to then President Joe Biden during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in September 2023. The gift included a wood chest, scarf, saffron in a jar, and a wooden tea box, with an estimated total value of USD 562. While the chest, scarf, jar, and box were transferred to the US National Archives (NARA), the perishable items, saffron and tea, were disposed of in accordance with United States Secret Service policies.
Another significant gift from Modi to Biden was a sterling silver metal train set, presented in July 2024 and valued at approximately USD 7,750. This item has also been transferred to the National Archives.
The list further notes that former First Lady Jill Biden received a pashmina shawl from Modi in October 2024, valued at USD 2,969, which was likewise archived. Former Vice President Kamala Harris received a Lord Krishna Raas Leela silver box, estimated at USD 1,330, while her husband, Douglas Emhoff, was gifted cufflinks valued at USD 585.65.
In addition, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval gifted a Kashmir pashmina scarf to former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented a Shiva Nataraja bronze statue to then US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The report states that such gifts are often accepted to avoid diplomatic embarrassment, reflecting customary international protocol in high-level diplomatic engagements.
