Washington, USA:Indian and U.S. officials are working to organize a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump in February 2025 to discuss key issues like trade, migration policies, and technology collaborations, according to two Indian sources familiar with the planning, who spoke to Reuters.
India, a key U.S. ally in countering China’s influence, is eager to strengthen trade ties with the U.S. and improve access to skilled worker visas for its citizens. These are expected to be among the main topics if the meeting takes place, the sources added.
While February has been proposed, the meeting date has not been confirmed. A bilateral discussion could potentially occur later in the year, possibly coinciding with the annual Quad summit, where India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. come together.
Trump’s return to the presidency has sparked concerns in India about potential tariff hikes. Trump has previously criticized India’s tariffs on U.S. goods, hinting at imposing similar measures.
However, New Delhi appears open to offering some trade concessions and creating incentives to attract U.S. investments, the sources noted.
Trump’s last official visit to India was in February 2020 during his first term, when he was welcomed by over 100,000 people at a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. At that event, Trump spoke of a “phenomenal trade deal” with India. Earlier, in 2019, Trump and Modi addressed a crowd of 50,000 at the “Howdy Modi” event in Houston, showcasing strong U.S.-India ties.
The U.S. remains India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $118 billion in 2023-24, including a $32 billion trade surplus for India.
The upcoming talks may also explore advancing cooperation in the defense and technology sectors.
Migration will be another critical area of focus. While Trump has pledged to crack down on illegal immigration, he has expressed support for legal pathways, particularly for skilled workers. India, with its vast pool of IT professionals, dominates the H-1B skilled worker visa category issued by the U.S.
India’s Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who attended Trump’s inauguration on January 20, recently met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Their discussions on January 21 included concerns about irregular migration, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.
