Diplomats from both India and the US are working to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump in February, with Washington as the proposed venue, according to two Indian sources familiar with the discussions.
The two countries are likely to discuss enhancing trade ties with each other. India is strategically cooperating with the US for the reason of countering Chinese influence. Further, India is likely to press for migration-related issues since the US president would support legal immigration of skilled employees to the country. India receives a large proportion of H-1B visas issued by the US.
India is reportedly concerned over Trump’s tariff threats, as he has identified India as one of the countries imposing high tariffs on US goods. Although no official communication from the US has been received, India is prepared to make concessions and offer incentives to attract US investment. As the US remains India’s biggest trading partner, bilateral trade figures for 2023-24 show that trade between the two countries has exceeded $118 billion with India registering a trade surplus of $32 billion. It is said that early interaction between the two leaders would be of paramount importance for continuing positive relationships in the future.
