India, US rekindle ties after Modi-Trump summit: F-35 jets, trade deal next

PTI, WASHINGTON, FEB 14, 2025 : India and the United States rekindled their relationship on a high note Friday with a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump yielding a range of benefits, including the US sale of oil, gas, and F-35 fighter aircraft to India, a possible mega trade deal, and the immediate extradition of Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Rana. Trump said after talks with Modi that India will buy more oil, gas, and military hardware from America to bring down the trade deficit, while asserting that Washington will not spare New Delhi from reciprocal tariffs.

At his Oval Office in the White House on Thursday (Friday India time), the US President warmly welcomed the Prime Minister with a long handshake and a bear hug and described the Prime Minister as a "great friend" for a long time and a "terrific" man. “We missed you. We missed you a lot,” Trump said as he greeted Modi. The elaborate welcome allayed the trepidation and put to rest the uncertainty that had clouded bilateral relations after Trump took office last month and unleashed a series of executive orders that have upended the global economic and diplomatic order.

Yet, the Prime Minister’s visit went off without any hiccups and in fact produced rich dividends. The only fly in the ointment was Trump’s announcement a day before the summit that he would impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that do the same with American goods. India is among those countries Trump is targeting, and he did not mince his words when talking about reciprocal tariffs against India during a 44-minute joint news conference with Modi. "Whatever India charges, we will charge them," Trump said. "We are being reciprocal with India," the US President said. Both sides are looking at striking a major trade deal soon, he said while calling import duties imposed by India on certain US products "very unfair" and "strong."

The Modi-Trump meeting, with an expansive agenda, took place hours after the US President announced a new reciprocal tariff policy for all trading partners of the US, the latest in a series of such actions by his administration. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the "excellent" meeting will add "significant momentum to the India-USA friendship." Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said it was a “very substantive and very productive” visit.

In his remarks, the US President said he and PM Modi have reached an agreement that could potentially make the US the "number one supplier" of oil and gas to India, suggesting it was part of measures to bring down the US trade deficit with India that stands at around USD 50 billion. Trump also said that both sides have decided to expand the overall defense partnership. "Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars," Trump said. "We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with F-35 stealth fighters," he added. The F-35 jets are known as the most lethal, survivable, and connected fighter aircraft in the world.

The President also announced that India and the US will work together like "never before" to confront the threat of radical Islamic terror across the world. "I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the very evil people of the world," he said, referring to 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India. Rana, currently detained at a metropolitan detention center in Los Angeles, is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the terror attack in 2008. "He is going to be going back to India to face justice," Trump said. "We're giving him back to India immediately and more such extraditions could follow as we have quite a few requests (from New Delhi)," he added.

The US President also noted positive momentum in India-US cooperation in the civil-nuclear energy sector. "In the groundbreaking development for the US nuclear industry, India is also reforming laws to welcome US nuclear technology to the Indian market," he said.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi said cooperation between India and the US can shape a better world. A defense cooperation framework will be prepared for the next decade, he said. "One thing that I deeply appreciate, and I learn from President Trump, is that he keeps the national interest (of the US) supreme. Like him, I also keep the national interest of India at the top of everything else," the Prime Minister said.

To a question on whether the issue relating to business tycoon Gautam Adani figured in the talks, Modi said: "India is a democracy and our culture is 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. We consider the whole world as one family. I believe every Indian is mine." "Two prominent leaders of two countries never discuss such individual issues," he added.

On ties between India and China following the eastern Ladakh border row, Trump said: “I do see the skirmishes on the border which are quite vicious... If I could be of help."