Reciprocal tariffs and immigration will be the key focus of the much-anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump as the US President attempts to reshape America's ties with the world and its allies in his second term. PM Modi, who landed in Washington DC on Thursday after a fruitful visit to France, has a jam-packed schedule that includes a meeting with tech titan Elon Musk and Indian-American entrepreneur and politician Vivek Ramaswamy.
On Friday, PM Modi will hold a delegation-level meeting with Trump and key members of his Cabinet at the White House followed by bilateral talks. It will be followed by a joint press conference and a dinner hosted by the US President.
The talks between the two leaders, who shared warm relations during Trump's first term as President, will be keenly watched as India will look to escape Trump's salvo of tariffs.
PM Modi's high-profile meetings will begin with talks with National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, followed by Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), at 10 pm. The PM will also meet Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran for the White House, at 10.45 pm.
Musk's meeting with PM Modi will be keenly watched after the Tesla CEO cancelled his visit to India last year. Starlink's plans to start satellite broadband services in India and setting up a Tesla factory could be the topics up for discussion.
The Modi-Trump meeting comes on the backdrop of the US President's tariff threats to India and the deportation of 104 illegal Indian immigrants - an issue that led to uproar back home.
The meeting assumes significance as PM Modi is the fourth foreign leader hosted by Trump and it comes within the first month of the Republican assuming office.
The Modi-Trump camaraderie and the optics of their meeting will also be under lens as it will be a flag bearer of the future of India-US ties.
Source: India Today