Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the United States for two days, from February 12, to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on a range of issues, including trade and defense, news agency PTI reported quoting people familiar with the matter.
Modi will travel to Washington, D.C. after completing his two-day visit to Paris, they added.
The prime minister is expected to arrive in the U.S. capital on the evening of February 12, with talks between him and President Trump scheduled for the following day. This will be Modi's first bilateral visit to the U.S. since Trump assumed the presidency for a second term on January 20, following his surprising electoral victory in November.
Modi will be one of the few foreign leaders to visit Washington, D.C. for a bilateral meeting shortly after the new administration took office. However, there has been no official confirmation of Modi's visit as of yet. Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that New Delhi is working with Washington for an “early” visit by the prime minister.
Before traveling to the U.S., Modi will be in Paris for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit on February 10 and 11.
The visit comes amidst rising concerns within the Indian government over President Trump’s stance on tariffs and immigration issues. On Sunday, President Trump announced the imposition of 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican imports, as well as an additional 10% tax on imports from China.
In a phone conversation on January 27, Modi and Trump pledged to strengthen their "trusted" partnership, focusing on enhancing cooperation in trade, energy, and defense. The White House stated that Trump emphasized India’s need to increase its procurement of U.S.-made security equipment and work toward a more equitable trade relationship.
Both leaders underscored their commitment to deepening the U.S.-India strategic partnership, as well as the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership, with India set to host the Quad Leaders for the first time later this year.
India has also expressed its interest in expanding energy relations with the U.S., particularly in clean energy.
On Saturday, New Delhi announced plans to amend its nuclear liability law and establish a nuclear energy mission ahead of Modi’s trip. Certain provisions in India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010 have posed challenges in advancing the civil nuclear deal, which was finalized between the two countries approximately 16 years ago.
India is also exploring the possibility of civil nuclear cooperation with the U.S. in small modular reactors (SMRs). U.S.-based Holtec International, a leading exporter of SMRs globally, is reportedly under consideration for collaboration with India’s Department of Atomic Energy.
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