According to a statement released from New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had a cordial and interesting phone chat on Thursday.
The leaders discussed important regional and worldwide issues while reviewing the consistent improvement in India-US bilateral relations. They reaffirmed their commitment to world peace, stability, and prosperity and decided to collaborate closely to address common issues and further shared interests.
PM Modi posted information on the conversation on X, emphasizing how constructive the conversation was. “Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump,” he said.
“We talked about regional and global issues and assessed the state of our bilateral relations. India and the United States will keep cooperating for world peace, stability, and prosperity.
The discussion emphasized how the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is becoming stronger in every area. Both leaders said they were pleased with the momentum.
They placed a strong focus on continuing to improve bilateral trade, which is a vital component of their collaboration.
Increasing collaboration in vital technologies, energy, defense, and security were all discussed. The India-US COMPACT program, which aims to accelerate business, military cooperation, and technological growth in the twenty-first century, is centered around these topics. Despite continued regional and global dynamics, the leaders decided to stay in contact.
During a press conference in Mumbai, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal gave an update on trade talks. He said that the negotiations are going well, with meaningful conversations taking place across a number of rounds—there have been five so far. The new US Deputy Trade Representative’s visit today was more of an introduction than a real round of negotiations.
Goyal emphasized that a contract is only successful if both parties gain from it. “We should never negotiate with deadlines because you tend to make mistakes then,” warned him. In response to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s encouraging comments about the agreement, Goyal said, “If they are very happy, they should be signing on the dotted line.”
Last week, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal expressed hope, speculating that the bilateral trade agreement’s first tranche would be finalized by year’s end. “We are very optimistic and very hopeful that we should find a solution within this calendar year,” he stated. But he cautioned about the unpredictable nature of negotiations, pointing out that even one point of contention could cause results to be delayed.
Following PM Modi’s earlier visit to Washington, where discussions were announced, initial targets set the first tranche completion for autumn 2025.
This occurs in the context of US tariffs, a 25% tax on Indian imports that began on August 1 and doubled a few days later due to India’s purchases of Russian oil. The United States imposed reciprocal penalties on nations that had trade imbalances.
According to MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, India has welcomed the US National Security Strategy 2025. Washington’s emphasis on strengthening relations is reflected in the document, which presents India as a crucial ally. Jaiswal stated, “We have a multifaceted relationship with the United States,” at a weekly briefing. “Both countries enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership and continue to work to further strengthen these ties.”
The White House’s policy, which was unveiled last week, emphasizes better business ties with India. It calls on New Delhi to support Indo-Pacific security through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with the US, Japan, and Australia.
With about half of the world’s GDP originating from this region, the Indo-Pacific becomes a crucial geopolitical and economic arena for the next century.
US officials seek to combat “predatory economic practices” by forming partnerships with combined economies worth USD 65 trillion. India stands out because of its growing economy and advantageous location. In addition to reiterating Quad promises, the policy places a high priority on technological cooperation in AI, quantum computing, and defense.
Despite trade tensions and geopolitical changes, this Modi-Trump call indicates a revitalized India-US relationship. It supports larger initiatives to strengthen the strategic alliance in the face of regional difficulties. Both countries seek mutual gains in commerce, technology, and security for long-term prosperity as negotiations move forward without strict timetables.
