India, US trying to arrange early Modi-Trump meeting
Indian and US diplomats are trying to arrange a February meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, two Indian sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
India, a strategic partner of the US in its efforts to counter China, is keen to enhance trade relations with the US and make it easier for its citizens to get skilled worker visas, two topics that will be on the agenda if the leaders meet, the sources said.
However, it’s not clear if the leaders will meet in February.
Sources said a bilateral meeting was possible later in the year, including when leaders of the Quad grouping of India, Australia, Japan, and the US meet at an annual summit hosted by India.
The White House said there were no announcements about a possible meeting to share.
Trump’s return to the White House has raised worries about the imposition of tariffs on India, a country he said has high tariffs on U.S. products and indicated that he favored reciprocating them.
However, the sources said New Delhi was willing to offer concessions to Washington and was open to offering incentives to attract more US investment.
Trump visited India in February 2020 during his previous term in office.
Then, he was cheered by more than 100,000 Indians at a cricket stadium in Modi’s political homeland in Ahmedabad, where he promised India “an incredible trade deal.”
In 2019, Trump held a “Howdy Modi” rally with Modi in Houston, drawing 50,000 people, mainly Indian Americans.
The US is India’s largest trading partner, and two-way trade between the two countries surpassed $118 billion in 2023/24, with India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion.
The sources said other discussion topics between the two leaders would be enhancing partnerships in technology and defense.
Migration would be another area of discussion, as Trump has pledged a crackdown on illegal immigration but has said he is open to legal migration of skilled workers.
India, known for its massive pool of IT professionals, many of whom work worldwide, accounts for the bulk of skilled workers with H-1B visas issued by the US.
Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who attended Trump’s inauguration on Monday, met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discussed “irregular migration” concerns on Tuesday, the US State Department said.