PM Modi launches Key Trade & Defense Initiatives with President Trump

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his way to India after concluding a substantive and productive visit to the US at the invitation of President Donald Trump. This was the prime minister’s first visit to the US after the inauguration of President Donald Trump for a second term.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral discussions with President Trump in Washington. The bilateral discussions at the White House began late last night and went on for nearly four hours. These comprised discussions in a restricted format and an extended discussion over dinner with larger delegations. The discussions covered the entire gamut of the relationship, ranging from strategic and security cooperation, defence, trade and economic engagement, technology, energy security, and people-to-people linkages, as well as regional and global issues of concern.

The two leaders jointly launched the US-India COMPACT for the 21st century. This COMPACT stands for Catalysing Opportunities in Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce, and Technology. In the area of trade and investment, the leaders launched Mission 500, aiming to more than



double the total two-way trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030.

Prime Minister Modi and President Trump also announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial multi-sector bilateral trade agreement by the fall of 2025 toward advancing this process. Defence remains a very important area of cooperation in the strategic partnership between the two countries. 

The leaders announced plans to finalise a new 10-year framework for the US-India major defence partnership in the 21st century. This is a framework that will run from 2025 to 2035 and is expected to be finalised later this year. They also agreed to move forward on ongoing defence procurement negotiations for a number of platforms, including land and air systems, as well as co-production agreements.

During the first leg of his two-nation tour, Mr. Modi visited France from 10th to 12th February. During the visit, he co-chaired the AI Action Summit, along with French President Emmanuel Macron. They also jointly inaugurated the newest Consulate General of India in Marseille.