Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for India on Thursday after completing a successful visit to the United States. This marked the second leg of his two-nation visit, following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, where he co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit and held bilateral talks.
PM Modi arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday evening (Thursday morning IST) for an official working visit, becoming the fourth foreign leader to meet President Donald Trump since his inauguration. During his stay, he engaged in discussions with several high-profile individuals, including U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, and Indian-American politician Vivek Ramaswamy.
On Thursday, PM Modi was hosted by President Trump for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office followed by a dinner. The two leaders shared a warm hug during their greeting, with President Trump remarking, "We missed you a lot." PM Modi reciprocated, expressing his joy at meeting the U.S. President again. This was their first meeting since Trump's return to the White House for his second term.
At a joint press conference, both leaders emphasized the "special bond" between India and the U.S., the world's oldest and largest democracies. They agreed to enhance cooperation in energy, technology, and connectivity. President Trump referred to PM Modi as a "great friend" and announced plans to increase military sales to India, including the potential delivery of F-35 stealth fighters.
Additionally, the U.S. and India reached an agreement to make the U.S. a leading supplier of oil and gas to India. Trump confirmed the approval of the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, the 26/11 terror attack conspirator, to India, calling him "one of the very evil people of the world." On trade, President Trump stressed the importance of achieving a level playing field between the two countries.
PM Modi outlined ambitious goals for the bilateral relationship, including a target of $500 billion in trade by 2023, with both nations working to finalize a mutually beneficial trade agreement. He also reaffirmed India’s willingness to repatriate its nationals living illegally in the U.S. and highlighted the need to dismantle the "ecosystem" of human trafficking.