Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the White House next week, following an invitation from US President Donald Trump, Reuters has reported. The invitation comes after a phone call between the two leaders on January 27, where they both underscored their commitment to strengthening the US-India strategic partnership and enhancing cooperation within the Indo-Pacific Quad framework.
During the call, Trump highlighted the importance of India purchasing more American-made security equipment and the need for fairer bilateral trade relations. “The two leaders discussed expanding and deepening cooperation, addressing regional security concerns, including in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe,” the White House statement noted.
“The President emphasized the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment and moving towards a more balanced bilateral trading relationship,” the statement added.
In their conversation, the leaders also spoke about plans for PM Modi’s visit to the White House and the future of the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership, with India set to host the Quad Leaders Summit for the first time later this year.
The US-India trade relationship is significant, with bilateral trade surpassing USD 118 billion in 2023-24, with India running a trade surplus of USD 32 billion, according to Reuters. As a strategic partner in the US efforts to counter China, India is eager to boost its trade relations with the US and simplify access to skilled worker visas for its citizens.
PM Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his re-election, holding a phone conversation with him on November 6 to extend his congratulations on both his re-election and the success of the Republican Party in the Congressional elections.
The visit is set to further solidify the strong and friendly relationship between the two leaders, who have worked together on a variety of global issues.
The announcement of Modi’s visit comes shortly after a US military aircraft departed with migrants aboard, headed for India, marking the furthest such deportation under the Trump administration, according to Reuters. India is also focused on avoiding the tariffs Trump has previously threatened, citing India’s high tariffs on US products.