New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke over the phone on Monday, marking their first contact since Trump’s inauguration last week.
In a post on X, Modi expressed their commitment to a “mutually beneficial and trusted partnership,” adding that he congratulated his “dear friend” on his historic second term in office.
“We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security,” Modi stated.
The United States is India’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade surpassing $118 billion in 2023/24, with India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion.
Trump’s Second Term Begins
Trump began his second term last Monday with a series of executive actions aimed at overhauling U.S. immigration, particularly focusing on H1-B visas that allow companies to bring in foreigners with specific skills to the U.S.
After a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated that New Delhi is prepared to take back its citizens illegally residing in the U.S.
“We want Indian talent and skills to have the maximum opportunity at the global level. At the same time, we are also firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration,” Jaishankar, who attended Trump’s inauguration, said.
“We have always taken the view that if any of our citizens are here illegally, and if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India,” he added.
U.S. Desires and Economic Ties
Rubio emphasized the Trump administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce after Tuesday’s meeting.
The most recent U.S. census showed a 50% growth in the Indian-origin population, reaching 4.8 million by 2020, while more than a third of the nearly 1.3 million Indian students studying abroad in 2022 were in the U.S.
