Trump dials Modi hours after ‘positive’ trade talks, wishes him on his birthday

Hours after India and the US decided to intensify efforts for an early conclusion of a “mutually beneficial” bilateral trade agreement following day-long “positive and forward-looking” talks between the trade teams of the two countries here on Tuesday, President Donald Trump wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday.

“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very happy birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra, thank you for your support towards ending the war between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said in a social media post.

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Modi highlighted the enduring friendship between the two leaders and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the India-US comprehensive global partnership.

“Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am fully committed to taking the India-US comprehensive and global partnership to new heights,” Modi posted on X.

Modi also voiced support for Trump’s initiatives towards finding a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, underscoring India’s role as a global advocate for peace.

The India-US trade agreement was announced in February with an aim to conclude the first tranche by November this year.

The US team, led by Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch, arrived in New Delhi on Monday night and held a day-long meeting with the Indian team, led by Special Secretary in the Commerce and Industry Ministry and India’s Chief Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal at Vanijya Bhawan here. This was the first meeting between both sides following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs by the US on Indian goods. The meeting went on for nearly eight hours, ministry officials said.

The US also described as “positive” the talks for the proposed bilateral trade deal.

“…Lynch had a positive meeting in Delhi with his counterpart Agrawal to discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations,” a spokesperson for the US embassy said.

Both sides acknowledged the enduring importance of bilateral trade between the two countries, the Commerce Ministry said, adding that the discussion was positive and forward-looking, covering various aspects of the trade deal.

The merchandise trade between India and US stood at $131.84 billion in 2024-25 with the US emerging as the largest trading partner of India for the fourth consecutive year. India exported goods worth $86.5 billion to the US.

Sources said the talks would continue between both sides in the virtual mode.

The development marks a significant step towards mending strained trade ties between the two countries in the backdrop of the 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the US on select Indian goods, including 25 per cent tariff linked to India’s oil purchase from Russia. According to analysts, the tariffs would impact nearly $48 billion of India’s exports to the US and could shave the country’s GDP by 0.5 per cent.

The one-day talks in New Delhi aimed to address key sticking points in the negotiations that began in March this year, with a target of sealing the first phase of the deal by November. So far, five rounds of negotiations have been held between India and the US for the trade pact.

Earlier on Monday, Agrawal had asserted that the talks had not been stopped between India and the US, and both countries were engaged through the virtual mode at various levels, including ministerial. He had also stated that this was not the sixth round of negotiations, but discussions would be held on the trade pact and both sides would try to find out how they could reach an agreement.

The India-US ties hit a low in late August when a planned US delegation visit to New Delhi from August 25-29 for the sixth round of negotiations was abruptly postponed amid escalating tensions. The sticking points in the India-US trade pact remained the US’ push for access to India’s agriculture and dairy market, which New Delhi has firmly resisted citing risks to millions of small farmers. “These are red lines for us,” an official had earlier told reporters, emphasising the need for balanced concessions.