Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the United States for an important meeting with President Donald Trump. This was his first meeting after Trump started his 2nd term on Jan 20, 2025. Both showed respect to each other and agreed to work on improving the India-US relationship especially on trade and tariffs.

Overview of PM Modi's US Visit

PM Modi started his 2 day visit to the U.S on Thursday, arriving in Washington, D.C early in the morning (late Wednesday EST).His schedule included important meetings, beginning with a discussion with U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. Then he met Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, at the Blair House where he was staying. Then he met Indian-American entrepreneur and Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy.

Modi's visit came after President Trump's recent announcement about tariffs. Just before their meeting, Trump said that the United States would impose tariffs that match those charged by other countries on American imports, pointing out that India has some of the highest tariff rates. This announcement raised worries about how it could affect India's economy and trade relations with the U.S.

Key Highlights of the Meeting

Meeting with President Trump: The big attraction of PM’s visit was the meeting with Trump. This was important because of Trump’s tariff threats which could impact Indian exports to US. Both wanted to discuss these issues and strengthen their partnership.

Trump’s Tariff Announcement: On the day of the meeting, Trump announced he will raise US tariffs to match the tax rates of other countries. He specifically mentioned that India has the highest tariffs, “No more or no less… They charge us a tax or tariff and we charge the same tax or tariff”. This meant higher duties on Indian imports to US which could make trade complicated.

High Level Engagements: After landing PM Modi had a packed schedule. He met Tulsi Gabbard who had just become the 8th Director of National Intelligence and they discussed various security and intelligence matters. Modi's meetings with important people in the U.S. government showed how important it is to work together on national security matters.

Focus on Strengthening Ties: Before coming to U.S. PM Modi was looking forward to meet his “friend” Donald Trump, he recalled their work together during Trump’s first term. He said this visit was an opportunity to build upon their past achievements and create a road map for the future to further strengthen their relationship.

Context of the Visit: PM Modi was in US after a 2 day visit to France where he met French President Macronhe talked about different topics, including artificial intelligence and civil nuclear energy. This background showed Modi's wider efforts to strengthen international partnerships.

In short, PM’s US visit was all about trade, security and the future of India US relations. This meeting with Trump was more so because of tariff threats and the need to work on multiple issues. Both leaders came away from the meeting with a renewed commitment to building a strong and beneficial partnership.