PM Modi Welcomed With Hugs, Handshakes & Tariffs By Trump At White House

Trade, defence, and immigration took centre-stage during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral meeting with Donald Trump hours after the US President announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs, asserting that India “is right at the top of the pack”. The key takeaways from the whirlwind meeting, coming within the first month of Trump's presidency, were the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India and the F-35 jet deal. During the joint press briefing, PM Modi said India and the US have set a $500 billion target for bilateral trade by 2030, with India set to import more US oil and gas to shrink the trade deficit. Trump welcomed India's recent measures to lower tariffs on US products like motorcycles, metals, and tech products. Despite the tariff shadow, the bonhomie between the two leaders was clearly visible as Trump and Modi shared a warm hug and lauded their partnership in their own inimitable style. The Prime Minister said only Trump had a “copyright on the word deal”, with the US President reciprocating by asserting that Modi was a “much tougher and much better negotiator than him”.