New Delhi: India confirmed Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Washington D.C. for a two-day official working visit on 12 and 13 February, where he will hold his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald J. Trump since the latter’s inauguration. Immigration, trade, defence, and investment will be among key issues on the agenda.
Announcing the visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said it follows a telephonic discussion between the two leaders last week. Modi’s trip comes amid heightened focus on US-India ties, particularly in the wake of the deportation of 104 Indians from the US earlier this week, a matter that has sparked debate in Parliament.
“There has been a very close rapport between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi dating back to President Trump’s first term. There is an obvious convergence of interest between the two countries in a number of areas: trade, investment, technology, defence cooperation, counter-terrorism, security of the Indo-Pacific, and the people-to-people relationship,” said Misri during a special briefing.
The foreign secretary added: “The Prime Minister’s visit to the United States will give further direction and impetus to this very important partnership. We expect a joint statement to be adopted at the end of the visit.”
Apart from his meeting with Trump, the Prime Minister is expected to be called on by several American cabinet members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He will also engage with business leaders and members of the Indian community in the US. As part of his business meetings, Modi is likely to meet tech billionaire and key Trump ally Elon Musk.
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Immigration, trade & defence on agenda
Earlier this week, the US used a military plane to deport 104 Indians for illegally migrating to the country, with the individuals reportedly restrained—an issue raised during the ongoing session of Parliament. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the Rajya Sabha Thursday over the matter. India has maintained that the deportation of Indian nationals from the US for attempting to enter the country illegally is “not new”.
However, the foreign secretary pointed out that the use of a military aircraft in the deportation process signals a shift, as the US is now treating the issue as a national security concern under Trump’s administration.
Misri informed the press that US authorities have shared a list of 487 presumed Indian nationals with New Delhi. Of these, details of 298 individuals have been provided, and India is in the process of verifying their nationality. If confirmed as Indian citizens, further deportation flights are expected in the near future.
Since 2009, the US has deported 15,903 Indians using various means of transport, including chartered aircraft, civilian flights, and government-owned planes.
However, Trump has recently approved the use of military equipment for such operations as part of his latest executive orders. The use of restraints has been part of American standard operating procedures since 2012.
“We continue to emphasise to the US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of deportees. This is a continuing exercise and conversation, and we will continue to take up any instances of mistreatment that come to our attention,” said the Indian foreign secretary.
Beyond illegal immigration and repatriation, a range of issues related to trade, defence, and regional security are expected to be discussed between Modi and Trump.
During their phone call last week, President Trump urged India to ensure “fair trade” between the two countries. India exported goods worth approximately $77.5 billion to the US in 2023-24, while imports stood at around $42.1 billion. The trade deficit, which favours India, has been an irritant for Trump, who has repeatedly criticised trade imbalances with countries such as Canada, China, and the European Union (EU).
Trump is also expected to push for increased purchases of American-made security equipment, a matter that will be under discussion as defence ties between the two nations continue to strengthen. India now exports roughly $1 billion worth of defence systems and subsystems annually, as reported by ThePrint earlier.
Misri also noted that the situation in Bangladesh may be brought up during regional discussions between the two leaders.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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