Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lavished praise on Donald Trump as a man of courage, underscoring strong personal bonds now being tested by the US president’s tariff plans, which also include the South Asian nation.
Modi said he gets along well with Trump because they both put their nations first, according to comments on the Lex Fridman Podcast, a rare interview with a foreign podcaster released over the weekend. The remarks come as India becomes a prime target for reciprocal US tariffs from April 2.
“His reflection showed his America First spirit, just as I believe in nation first,” Modi said. “I stand for India first and that’s why we connect so well.”
Modi has been making concessions to appease Trump. India has lowered some of its levies on American goods and officials in New Delhi have been discussing reducing duties for a range of other products including automobiles, some agricultural products and chemicals, Bloomberg has reported.
The Indian prime minister was among the first foreign leaders to visit Trump after his return to the White House earlier this year. Despite recent tensions, Trump and Modi have developed a close relationship, with multiple meetings during the US president’s first term. The US over multiple administrations has cultivated India as a regional partner and a bulwark against a more assertive China.
During Modi’s latest US visit, the two sides agreed to negotiate the first tranche of a multi-sector trade deal by the fall of this year. Trade between the two countries grew to $127 billion in 2023, making the US India’s largest trading partner and putting pressure on New Delhi to strike a deal.
At the same time, New Delhi is also trying to repair ties with Beijing which were marred by a border dispute nearly five years ago. Earlier this year, China and India agreed to resume direct flights, facilitate visas and restart sharing data of trans-border rivers.
“After my recent meeting with President Xi, we have seen a return to normalcy at the border. We are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020,” Modi said referring to his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October last year.
Labeling the 21st century as “Asia’s century,” Modi said that the competition between India and China should be “healthy” and not turn into a “conflict.”
During the interview, Modi criticized international organizations and said that they are slowly becoming irrelevant. “Institutions, like the UN, are failing to fulfill their roles,” he said, echoing a stance that Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have also taken lately.
Modi said Trump took him aside for a personal trip around the White House when Modi visited for the first time. He also appreciated how Trump in his first term joined the Indian leader at a “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston 2019 to walk around the stadium and wave to the crowd.
“It showed me that this man had courage,” he said.
Modi said Trump is better positioned to lead in his second term and commended the government efficiency campaign lead by Musk.
“I have observed President Trump both during his first term and now in his second run,” Modi said. “This time, he seems far more prepared than before. He has a clear roadmap in his mind with well-defined steps, each one designed to lead him toward his goals.”
(Bloomberg)
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