US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held their first face-to-face bilateral meeting since Modi’s trip to the US, at the G7 summit in France, and used it to ease tensions over trade and reaffirm strategic ties.
Key takeaways from their talks:
- Trade deal: Trump said India and the US are “close to agreeing” a trade deal, and officials are scheduled to meet in Delhi next week to put “final touches” on the agreement. Current tariffs stand at 10% after the US Supreme Court invalidated many of Trump’s earlier tariffs.
- Trump’s India visit: Trump announced he plans to visit India “sometime in the future”, signalling a shift towards warmer bilateral relations. He described Modi as a “tough negotiator” but praised him as “cool” and “a total killer”.
- Seafarer safety: Modi raised the safety of Indian sailors in the Strait of Hormuz after recent deaths of Indian seafarers in the Gulf. Trump said the US would “assist” India if it were attacked, though he added some ambiguity about current leadership.
- West Asia & G7: Modi spoke at the G7 about the Middle East conflict, noting that several Indian civilians had died and calling for global trust in partnerships to avoid supply shortages. Modi also commended Trump’s idea of an expanded G7 as “creative and far-sighted”.
- Defense & technology: The leaders discussed ongoing defense cooperation, technology partnerships and broader regional security, reinforcing the India–US strategic relationship.
The meeting marked a clear improvement in Trump–Modi relations after earlier tensions over tariffs and trade, and set the stage for finalising the US–India trade deal in Delhi.
