Modi arrived in Washington for talks with President Trump to manage bilateral relations, focusing on issues like trade, defence, and energy.
Agenda for Discussion: Key topics include tariffs, trade in defence and energy, immigration, and the Indo-Pacific region.
Prior to the talks, Trump announced an executive order on reciprocal tariffs, while India had already made some tariff reductions as part of its budget.
The U.S. is looking to announce a “fair” bilateral trade agreement in 2025, as Trump wants to address trade surpluses with countries like India.
Both countries are expected to continue their technology partnership, including the India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
The U.S. aims to prioritize India as a key importer of natural resources and is moving toward signing a new defence framework.
Trump emphasized the safety of Americans, and there were questions about whether Trump would raise concerns over an alleged Indian plot related to a separatist.
Modi's Pre-Talk Meetings: Modi met with U.S. officials, including National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, entrepreneur Elon Musk, and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to discuss defence, technology, and innovation.
Modi and Musk discussed potential cooperation involving Musk's satellite company, Starlink, entering India.
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