As Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from another successful visit to the United States, India seems to have dodged the bullet on trade tariffs, economic sanctions, and immigration ennui. It is no coincidence that on the very day Trump announced far-reaching reciprocal tariffs on US friends and foes alike, Indians were raising a toast to cheaper American Bourbon and riding into the sunset on reduced-duty imported Harleys. The mantra of MAGA + MIGA = MEGA has injected renewed fervour into the bilateral ties between these two world giants.
PM Modi is one of the first few leaders to visit the US post Trump 2.0 and meet Donald Trump, soon after the latter challenged neighbours Canada and Mexico with threats of increased tariffs and exited the WHO.
Modi-bashers, of course, are watching hawk-eyed to catch any misstep. They have claimed that the Indian Prime Minister received a ‘lukewarm’ welcome in the United States. They’ve pointed to Trump not receiving him at the airport, Elon Musk bringing his children to their meeting, and a ‘wasted’ interaction with sidelined politician Vivek Ramaswamy.
But Modiji has achieved many successes with belligerent Trump 2.0, who has managed to rub most world leaders the wrong way. Modiji’s MAGA + MIGA (Make India Great Again) = MEGA formula—which he called a “mega partnership for prosperity”—has landed well. As the seasoned CNN journalist Will Ripley put it—it’s “very clever branding that resonates with Trump. Other leaders, take note.”
Here are five key achievements from the visit.
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1. The optics of Trump-Modi Bhai Bhai
Trump spent more than five hours with Modiji and heaped tonnes of praise on him. The wily businessman who fancies himself a keen negotiator admitted that the Indian PM was a “better and tougher negotiator”, called him a special friend and a great man, and even told him that he had missed him.
While this appears to be mere candy floss in the uber-sketchy dynamics of a changing world order, seasoned analysts acknowledge that the optics of this camaraderie makes for great press in the era of social media trolling. It also shows that PM Modi was effectively able to hold his ground with a POTUS riding high on MAGA fervour—emerging unscathed from Trump’s tariff tantrums.
2. Power of MAGA + MIGA = MEGA
The Indian media euphorically embraced the PM’s slogan, which swiftly caught on like wildfire. Donald Trump swept to power through his slogan ‘Make America Great Again’, which struck at the very core of American nationalism with promises to curb illegal immigration, bring back jobs to the US, challenge cheap Chinese imports, and crack down on rising ‘woke’ culture—along with tough talks with neighbours by the POTUS. PM Modi has a vision for Viksit Bharat 2047, and that’s where common purpose and interests are intertwined between PM Modi and the POTUS.
Modiji is batting for a return to India’s rich cultural heritage, boosting in-house manufacturing through Make-in-India, discouraging Chinese imports—especially in sensitive areas like AI, software, and power—and keeping a sharp eye on cross-border infiltration. Modi sees himself as a super mediator, having managed to walk the tightrope on the Russia-Ukraine war without choosing sides. In the Gaza war too, Modi maintained India’s growing ties with Israel without compromising traditional friendships with Palestine and the Arab states.
It is now well acknowledged that India is a rising power and can proudly take its place at the world’s head table as a political powerhouse. Viksit Bharat 2047 is the PM’s vision to ‘Make India Great Again’. At this stage, it is imperative that India retains its head start as a strategic partner and leverages its relationship with the US to collaborate and cooperate.
3. Trade-offs that work
PM Modi announced that the two countries have set a target to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. “As strategic and trusted partners, we are actively moving forward in the direction of joint development, joint production, and transfer of technology,” he said.
Today, the US is India’s third-largest arms supplier, rising from near zero to $20 billion since 2008. Meanwhile, India’s reliance on Russian arms shifted from 76 per cent in 2009-2013 to 36 per cent in 2019-2023. Trump said that the US would be “increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars”. On offer are F-35 stealth fighter jets, signalling a deepening defence partnership. Additionally, both nations are exploring co-production opportunities for advanced military equipment, further enhancing India’s defence capabilities.
Other areas of collaboration are likely to include semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence. It is after all the Indian brain that runs the technical industry of the US, and a partnership that is mutually beneficial to both countries—and likely to counter the threat of Chinese AI—is a win-win for both the MAGA and MIGA brigades.
4. Tariffs and Trump
The US is India’s top trade partner, with India enjoying a trade surplus. Tariffs have been a key point of contention, with Trump repeatedly criticising India’s high tariffs, calling it the “tariff king”—particularly targeting duties on American goods like motorcycles and agricultural products. India’s latest budget saw tariffs cut from 13 per cent to 11 per cent in an endeavour to avert any tariffs imposed by Trump. These measures are intended to enhance market access for US goods and demonstrate India’s commitment to addressing trade disparities.
Experts like Ajay Srivastava of the Global Trade Research Institute, however, state that only a quarter of US exports to India attract a levy of more than 5 per cent, and the 150 per cent tariff bracket that Trump points to is an outlier, not the norm. Post Modiji’s visit, American Bourbon, luxury cars, solar cells, and yachts are among the items likely to get cheaper.
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5. Immigration and extradition
A major achievement of Modi’s visit has been President Trump’s cooperation on the long-pending issue of Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s extradition to India. Implicated in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, this sends out a strong message to the world—neither Trump nor Modi will tolerate terrorism or allow their respective soil to be used for conspiracies and acts of terror against democracies.
As Trump announced in DC: “My administration has approved the extradition … of one of the very evil people in the world. We work with India on crime.” Modiji expressed his gratitude to Trump for returning someone who “was responsible for genocide in India”.
Modi also assured cooperation in repatriating Indian citizens residing illegally in the US. India recently accepted 104 migrants repatriated on a US military plane, with two more plane loads arriving this past weekend. This move by Modiji also paves the way for discussions on legal immigration pathways, including H-1B visas, of which Indians are the highest beneficiaries.
All in all, it seems to have been a successful visit for PM Modi, and the ramifications of this visit—so soon after Trump 2.0 assumed power—are wide and far-reaching. Even Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has acknowledged India’s on the stage of world politics, as Modi was only the fourth leader to meet Trump after his return to power.
Can Team MAGA help Make India Great Again? Going by the energies and synergies of Modi’s American visit, it appears to be so.
Meenakshi Lekhi is a BJP leader, lawyer and social activist. Her X handle is @M_Lekhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
Europeans were dismayed by what unfolded in the Munich Security Conference. The three military deportation flights are not in that league, of course. However, both provide Indian policy makers valuable insights about what lies ahead with the Trump administration. The question the rest of the world will be asking itself is, Is this just a passing storm that will last for four years, or are there deeper forces at work in the United States which will fundamental alter the way it engages with them.