Trump says he will visit India as frosty Modi relationship thaws
US President Donald Trump announced he will visit New Delhi this autumn, after a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Évian G7 summit. According to the BBC, the two leaders are seeking a reset in a relationship strained in recent months by tariff disputes and the deaths of Indian sailors in the Iran conflict. Joint manufacturing and defence-technology transfer were the headline topics.
According to the BBC, Trump told reporters: "I've wanted to meet Modi for a long time, India is a huge partner, and I'll be going there." The bilateral discussion took up the review of US 35-percent tariff supplements on Indian steel and textiles. In exchange for New Delhi giving a green light to a 35-billion-dollar Boeing order for 787s and 777Xs, Washington was reported as ready to offer a CHIPS Act-style partnership on India's semiconductor sector.
Relations had been strained last month by the deaths of three Indian sailors in the Iran conflict. In his meeting with Modi, Trump avoided a formal apology over the incidents; Indian diplomatic sources confirmed an indirect message of condolence was conveyed.
The visit was formally scheduled for mid-October. It would be the first US presidential visit in eight years. Asian markets welcomed the news: the Nifty 50 index gained 1.3 percent intraday and the rupee held at 82.4 against the dollar.
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