Modi gifted a precious stone to US First Lady

KARACHI: US First Lady Jill Biden received a diamond worth $20,000 as a gift from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to an annual accounting release made by the State Department on Thursday and reported by the Associated Press.

US federal law requires executive branch officials to disclose gifts valued over $480 received from foreign leaders and counterparts.

The report indicated that the 7.5-carat diamond was by far the most expensive gift given to any member of the first family in 2023, although Jill Biden also received a brooch worth $14,063 from the Ukrainian ambassador to the US.

Modi hails from Gujarat, a region in western India known for its flourishing diamond industry. Modi was the state’s chief minister from 2001 to 2014, before becoming prime minister.