Ahead of Trump meeting, Modi connects with Musk, top US officials, talks tech and trade

A new defence framework, a fair trade deal in 2025 and continuation of the cooperation on critical technologies are on the table at the meeting between Modi and Trump on Thursday afternoon local time (early Friday India time).

Modi — who arrived in Washington DC late last night — began his visit by meeting newly appointed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, just hours after her confirmation.

With Gabbard — who heads the entire US intelligence community of 17 intelligence agencies including the CIA — the discussions focused on “enhancing intelligence cooperation in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity & emerging threats,” the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.

“Met USA’s Director of National Intelligence, @TulsiGabbard in Washington DC. Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she’s always been a strong votary,” Modi posted on X.

With NSA Mike Waltz, defence, technology and security dominated the conversation and the focus was on cooperation in AI, semiconductors and space. “Had a fruitful meeting with NSA @michaelgwaltz. He has always been a great friend of India. Defence, technology and security are important aspects of India-USA ties and we had a wonderful discussion around these issues. There is strong potential for cooperation in sectors like AI, semiconductors, space and more,” Modi posted on X.

A statement by the MEA said: “The discussions touched upon ways to further deepen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, with a focus on strategic technologies, as well as defence industrial cooperation and civil nuclear energy with an emphasis on small modular reactors, and counterterrorism. They also discussed international, and regional issues of mutual interest.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Tesla CEO and DOGE chief Elon Musk and family in Washington DC on Thursday. (PIB)

With Musk, world’s richest man and owner of Tesla, SpaceX and X who leads the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, Modi discussed “space, mobility, technology and innovation”.

“Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,” Modi posted on X.

Modi’s two-day visit to the US comes amid concerns in New Delhi over Trump’s aggressive positioning on immigration and tariffs. With Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy, Modi’s key priority is likely to be to pre-empt any punitive trade action by Washington against India.

Trump administration officials said they are moving forward with talks on a bilateral trade deal, and they hoped to have a deal in place this year. They would like to see more defence and energy sales to balance the trade deficit. India and the US have bilateral trade of about US$ 200 billion, and India has a trade surplus of about US$ 40-50 billion in its favour.

His visit comes amid discussions on trade tariffs, immigration policies, and strategic alignments, as Trump pushes a tough stance on China and global trade. With immigration and tariff policies under scrutiny, India seeks to strengthen its position in bilateral talks. (Photo: @narendramodi/ X)

“We envision a stronger defence partnership, that’s procurement and moving forward on things like defence exercises,” a US administration official said.

While sources said that a new defence framework is likely to be announced, the India-US defence cooperation is based on “New Framework for India-US Defence Cooperation” which was renewed for 10 years in 2015.

The two sides are expected to continue cooperation on potential threats from China and how to strengthen the Quad partnership to promote stability and peace across the Indo-Pacific.

The Trump administration is also keen to sell US energy to India, as this has the potential to bring down the trade deficit, US officials said. The US is India’s sixth largest energy trade partner and India’s hydrocarbon trade with the US was US$ 13.6 billion in FY 2023-24.

A trade deal, where both sides are able to make concessions on tariffs and market access, is expected to reduce the trade deficit as well, sources said. In this context, the Trump administration also feels that India can use the opportunity presented by the tariffs on China.

The Modi-Trump meeting comes a day after the US President spoke to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a bid to end the Russia-Ukraine war. This would be the first bilateral talks between the two leaders after Trump assumed the presidency for a second term last month. The two leaders have spoken on the phone twice since November last year.

“The President, I think, will welcome a conversation with respected world leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, about how we can constructively move towards peace in Europe,” said the Trump administration official.

Modi’s visit also comes days after the Trump administration deported 104 illegal Indian immigrants in handcuffs and shackles on a military aircraft, triggering outrage in India. India would want the US authorities to treat the illegal immigrants humanely, and to not let the issue of illegal immigration impact the legal channels, including the H1B visa programme.

After his arrival, Modi posted on X: “Landed in Washington DC a short while ago. Looking forward to meeting @POTUS Donald Trump and building upon the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Our nations will keep working closely for the benefit of our people and for a better future for our planet.” He was received by Acting Chief of Protocol in the US administration, Abby Jones.

Modi is staying at the Blair House, the US presidential guesthouse at the heart of Washington DC. His meetings in Washington DC signal that he is reaching out to the influential players in the Trump administration. He also met entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who was earlier one of the Republican Presidential candidates and is now aspiring to run for the Ohio Governor’s position.