16 year-old Riya Pawar to sing US National Anthem during PM Modi’s visit

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A 16-year-old Indian-American girl who excels in singing, Riya Pawar, will be performing the American national anthem in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the US starting June 21, 2023.

Teenage singing prodigy Riya Pawar will sing before the invitation-only gathering of Indian diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on June 23.

As an Indian-origin American, Riya is quoted saying in a press release that she “could not be happier to see both aspects of [her] identity coming together for this celebration.”

The New Jersey teen has been singing since she was five years old. She is a trained Hindustani Classical, Bollywood, and Western singer. She has won several competitions in all three genres, the press release said. Riya has done various performances in the tristate area.

She has other wins even at this young age. She won the title of Miss India Teen New Jersey 2021 and has been dubbed “Beauty with Brains” because of her academic achievements. She uses her pageant platform to speak about her passion for science and technology, and she hopes to one day motivate more women to explore careers in STEM.

Riya indicated she is looking forward to meeting the Prime Minister and learning more about his vision for India.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will be hosting Prime Minister Modi at the White House for a formal State Visit June 22. Modi will be addressing a joint session of the US Congress on the same day on Capitol Hill.