Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to the United States next month for the UN General Assembly meeting, with a potential bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump on the agenda, as reported by the Indian Express on Wednesday. While India’s foreign ministry has not yet confirmed the visit, an official stated that a final decision has not been made. The official noted that India’s “head of government” is on a provisional list of speakers for September 26, but this list is subject to change.
Although the primary reason for the visit would be to attend the UN meeting in New York, a key objective will be to hold discussions with Trump to address trade and tariff disputes that have recently strained relations between the two countries. The news of a possible trip comes just days after Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, a measure aimed at penalizing New Delhi for its continued purchase of Russian oil. This new penalty brings the total tariff on Indian exports to the US to 50%, making it one of the highest imposed on any of the US’s trading partners.
Trade negotiations between New Delhi and Washington recently collapsed after five rounds of talks, with disagreements centering on opening India’s large farm and dairy sectors and its refusal to stop buying Russian oil. On Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an interview with Fox Business Network’s “Kudlow,” mentioned that several major trade agreements, including one with India, are still pending. He described New Delhi as “a bit recalcitrant” in its talks with Washington. Bessent expressed hope that the Trump administration could finalize its trade negotiations by the end of October.
