Modi-Trump Meeting: What Are India’s Expectations?

Modi-Trump Meeting: What Are India’s Expectations?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the United States soon to meet President Donald Trump. This visit, lasting two days, comes shortly after Trump began his second term as President of the U.S. The bilateral talks between Modi and Trump, especially in light of the ongoing trade war, have raised significant curiosity.

Modi will be one of the few global leaders to visit the U.S. shortly after Trump’s inauguration. Leaders like the Israeli and Japanese Prime Ministers had also visited the U.S. earlier.

India sees Modi’s visit as a step forward in strengthening the “important partnership”between the two countries. This meeting is expected to provide a “valuable opportunity” for both sides to engage in areas of mutual interest, according to senior officials.

In a press briefing on February 7, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “The Prime Minister’s visit at the invitation of President Trump highlights the importance of the India-U.S. partnership, reflecting bipartisan support for this partnership in the U.S.”

During his visit, Modi is expected to meet with U.S. business leaders and members of the Indian community. He will engage in both limited and delegation-level bilateral meetings with President Trump. Discussions are expected to cover various bilateral issues, as well as regional and international matters.

Modi may also meet with Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX and Tesla. As Modi is keen to expand India’s growing electric vehicle sector, there are expectations that he may invite Musk to open a Tesla factory in India.

Trade War and India’s Responses

Amidst President Trump’s ongoing trade war, India has already taken steps to reduce tariffs. India has lowered certain duties and has also repatriated 104 Indians who were staying in the U.S. without proper documentation. These preemptive measures aim to avoid direct demands from Trump and reduce any potential tensions in the early days of his second term.

To reduce the U.S. trade deficit with India, which has recently reached $46 billion, Trump may ask Modi to make further tariff reductions. There is also a possibility that both countries will enter into bilateral trade negotiations to finalize an economic partnership agreement aimed at lowering tariffs on both sides.

As Modi-Trump get set to meet, here’s what I expect re India’s approach.

Unusual for an 🇮🇳 PM to come to the 🇺🇸 this early into an admin. Broadly, I think India sees this as an opportunity for brush clearing (to avoid flare ups; prepare ground for growth) & tone/agenda-setting pic.twitter.com/FBi9JzxICx

— Tanvi Madan (@tanvi_madan) February 12, 2025

In recent years, India has shown a strong willingness to continue trade agreements, and there is potential for Trump’s administration to be more proactive in these discussions than the Biden administration.

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