Trade, defence, and immigration took the spotlight as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met U.S. President Donald Trump during a whirlwind bilateral session. The high-stakes discussions came just hours after Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs, describing India as "right at the top of the pack."
Despite some tensions over tariffs, the friendship between Trump and Modi was evident as they embraced warmly and praised their collaborative relationship. Modi jokingly remarked that only Trump had a "copyright on the word deal," while Trump responded by acknowledging Modi as a "much tougher and much better negotiator than him."
Among the key takeaways from their meeting:
Extradition of Tahawwur Rana: "My administration has approved the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, one of the very evil people of the world, to face justice in India," Trump announced at the joint press briefing.
Major defence deal on F-35 jets: Trump revealed that the U.S. would supply fifth-generation F-35 stealth jets to India and expand military sales by "billions of dollars." However, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified that the deal was still at the proposal stage.
$500 billion trade target: PM Modi announced a goal to reach $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, with India set to import more U.S. oil and gas. Despite tariff tensions, Modi said only Trump had a "copyright on the word deal," prompting the President to call Modi a "much tougher and much better negotiator than him."
MAGA meets MIGA: In a playful twist on Trump’s slogan, PM Modi said India is working toward a Viksit Bharat, which translates to "MIGA"—Make India Great Again. He added, "When US and India work together, MAGA plus MIGA becomes a ‘MEGA’ partnership for prosperity."
The TRUST initiative: Both leaders announced this program to boost collaboration among governments, academia, and the private sector, focusing on defence, AI, semiconductors, energy, and space.
Immigration concerns: Following the U.S. deportation of over 100 Indians, Modi emphasized India’s readiness to take back "verified" citizens living illegally in America.
Trump offers mediation on India-China: "If I could help, I’d love to, because that should be stopped… It’s quite violent," Trump said, referring to the longstanding border tensions along the LAC.
Trump on Bangladesh crisis: During the crisis in Bangladesh that resulted in the collapse of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government last year, Donald Trump dismissed claims that the U.S. government secretly influenced the situation (often referred to as the "deep state"). He stated that he would leave the matter of Bangladesh to Prime Minister Modi of India.
Modi also addressed the Russia-Ukraine crisis, reiterating India’s stand for peace while praising Trump’s efforts to calm the conflict. Despite the tough trade talk and global uncertainties, the meeting ended on a note of optimism, with both leaders expressing confidence in the growing India-U.S. partnership.