New Delhi: All eyes are on the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Washington DC. In ‘Modi’s US visit raises industry hopes amid tariff threats,’ Reuters reports that PM Modi is expected to propose tariff cuts and increased energy and defence imports to Trump at the meeting Wednesday.
“Modi is keen to avert a potential trade war and boost trade ties after Trump threatened reciprocal tariffs on many countries, including a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminium imports,” Reuters reports.
According to the report, alleviating trade imbalances by increasing energy imports from the US could be among the key issues likely to be discussed at the meeting, especially since India is the world’s fourth-largest importer of liquefied natural gas.
India is also likely to purchase and co-produce combat vehicles and finalise a fighter jet engine deal.
US officials and industry representatives are expected to raise the issue of “market access and a level-playing field” for US businesses, citing higher import tariffs on certain goods,” writes Manoj Kumar in this Reuters report. Elon Musk, too, is expected to meet with Modi to discuss the set-up of Tesla and Starlink in India.
“Indian officials and industry groups are optimistic that Modi’s visit will enhance strategic and economic ties with the United States,” the report concludes. “New Delhi aims to attract increased investments from US companies in manufacturing and services, including the insurance sector, amid escalating threats from China.”
Of course, the issue of illegal migration is also expected to come up, though both countries largely converge on this issue. In ‘Trump’s citizenship order leaves expecting Indian immigrant parents in limbo’, the BBC reports on an issue that Indian media picked up last week.
Many who are close to their due dates are considering inducing delivery so that their child is born in the US, while the window for receiving birthright citizenship is still open, even as Trump’s executive order is being legally challenged in court. However, “obstetricians of Indian origin in the US have reported only a few such inquiries” from families seeking early C-sections, Savita Patel reports for the BBC.
“US citizenship is highly coveted, especially by skilled H-1B visa holders. Indians are the second-largest immigrant group in the US,” the BBC explains, pointing to how over 5 million Indians in the US hold non-immigrant visas.
“South Asian parents-to-be are flooding online groups with concerns about the order’s impact and next steps,” it reports. “Trump’s executive order says it does not affect the ability of the children of lawful permanent residents to obtain documentation of US citizenship. But Indians in the US face the longest wait of any foreign nationality to receive a green card conferring lawful permanent residency.”
According to another Reuters report, ‘Anti-minority hate speech in India rose by 74% in 2024, research group says.’ Citing research by Washington-based India Hate Lab, it says instances of hate speech against religious minorities in India ballooned around the general elections last year.
The group documented 1,165 instances of what it considers to be hate speech, compared with 668 incidents in 2023. These examples were observed at events such as political rallies, religious processions, cultural gatherings, and protest marches.
“The report comes days before a White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and India’s Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government is blamed by rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International for the mistreatment of minorities in India,” Kanishka Singh contextualises in this Reuters report.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reports on how ‘More than 1,100 dead sea turtles washed up along southern India’s coastline,’ prompting an increase in wildlife patrols and a crackdown on fishing boats.
“Most of the washed up turtles were found near the state capital, Chennai,” the article, originally published by Mongabay and republished by The Guardian, says.
“Every year, Olive Ridley turtles gather off India’s coast to breed. Female turtles come ashore to the beaches where they hatched to lay their own eggs, while the males remain in the water. Typically, between 100 and 150 turtles nest on Chennai’s beaches annually, so the stranding of more than 1,000 turtles is surprising,” the report says.
The turtles are likely to have died from suffocation and drowning, Shreya Dasgupta reports. “Both male and female turtles could have gathered near nesting beaches to breed,” The Guardian reports. “If there was net fishing in the area, the turtles, which need to surface to breathe, may have become entangled and drowned.”
The state government has swung into action, with a patrol team now monitoring boats and ships in the area. Commercial fishing vessels operating in Chennai’s waters don’t always abide by local laws, which has likely led to such deaths. Now, night patrols have also begun to protect hatchlings.
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