On September 17, 2025, US President Donald Trump personally called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wish him a happy 75th birthday. He also used the opportunity to thank India for helping him “end” the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump subsequently emphasized the exchange on Truth Social, calling Modi a buddy and praising his leadership as “awesome.” In a follow-up on X, Prime Minister Modi publicly supported US-led efforts for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine situation, thanked Trump for the greetings, and reiterated his commitment to furthering the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership.
The cordial conversation demonstrated the leaders’ ongoing relationship and suggested both strategy alignment and a high level of personal chemistry.
On September 16, US Trade Representative (USTR) Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch met with Indian Commerce Ministry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal in New Delhi, coinciding with the development.
After reviewing the current state of bilateral trade negotiations, the two delegations agreed to step up efforts to quickly reach a mutually beneficial India-US trade agreement.
The Commerce Ministry claims that the discussions focused on moving from incremental understandings to a full agreement and addressed a wide range of topics related to trade balance, market access, and tariff frameworks.
At a crucial geopolitical moment, the combination of technical trade talks and high-level political outreach is seen as a part of a concerted effort to strengthen strategic and economic connections between the two democracies.
