Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to America in February 2025 proved to be a turning point in the relations between the two countries. This was the first high-level US visit by any head of state after the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term. Meanwhile, a photo of the Modi-Trump meeting held in Washington DC was recently presented to the Prime Minister by America’s new ambassador-designate Sergio Gore, which is considered a symbol of the diplomatic closeness between the two countries.
Let us tell you that in the last few years, the economic and strategic relations between India and America have strengthened significantly. According to the available information, the total trade in goods and services between the two countries would reach about $186 billion in 2024, in which India got an additional benefit of about $41 billion. It is noteworthy that this figure indicates India’s growing stature in the export sector and strong presence in the American market.
However, President Trump’s recent policies have had some impact on these relations. Indian industry is particularly concerned about visa regulations and rising tariffs. According to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the US tariffs, which are going to be implemented from August, may lead to a decline of up to 70 percent in the exports of India’s labour-intensive industries.
Despite this, there has been no interruption in diplomatic dialogue between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi, during his February visit, had invited President Trump to attend the Quad summit to be held in India this year. It is noteworthy that this meeting will be organized between India, America, Japan and Australia with the aim of promoting security and economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Although initially it was considered less likely that Trump would attend this meeting, but recent developments have rekindled hopes. Sergio Gore had last month said the President is “committed to stronger cooperation with the Quad countries”, hinting that Trump may consider visiting India.
Diplomatic experts believe that if Trump attends this conference, it will not only give a new direction to India-US relations but will also send a strong message to balance China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Overall, despite the ups and downs in relations between India and America, new possibilities for cooperation are emerging and it is clearly visible that despite economic differences, both the countries are committed to strengthening the future partnership by giving priority to shared strategic interests.