New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House for discussions on defense, trade, technology, energy, and global partnerships. The meeting, which took place shortly after PM Modi's visit to France, came on the same day that President Trump unveiled a new reciprocal tariff policy affecting all U.S. trading partners, including India.
As part of their discussions, the leaders announced a new initiative, COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology for the 21st Century), aimed at strengthening cooperation across key sectors.
Defense Partnership Strengthened
- India and the U.S. agreed to sign a new 10-year defense partnership framework later this year, reinforcing strategic cooperation.
- New military acquisitions include Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stryker armored vehicles, and six additional P8I maritime surveillance aircraft for India.
- The U.S. will review export regulations to ease technology transfers and spare part supplies for defense systems.
- Talks began on a Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) agreement, which would allow both nations to procure defense equipment from each other.
- Discussions on advanced technologies in space, missile defense, naval systems, and undersea warfare were a major focus.
- The U.S. is considering granting India access to fifth-generation fighter jets and undersea warfare systems.
- India and the U.S. launched the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) to boost cooperation in underwater domain awareness (UDA) technologies, making India the first country to co-develop these sensitive technologies with the U.S.
- Plans are underway for joint production of autonomous surveillance systems, unmanned surface vehicles, and advanced sonar technologies to enhance India's maritime security.
Trade and Economy: ‘Mission 500’
- Both leaders set a goal of increasing bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under the initiative named “Mission 500.”
- India and the U.S. committed to finalizing a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by late 2025, covering multiple sectors and addressing key trade barriers.
- Indian investments in the U.S. have reached $7.35 billion, creating thousands of jobs.
- The discussions took place amid concerns over Trump’s 25% tariff on global steel and aluminum imports, which could impact Indian exports.
Technology and Innovation Cooperation
- A new initiative, TRUST (Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology), will encourage collaboration between governments, academia, and private industries in emerging technologies.
- The U.S. and India will finalize an AI Roadmap by the end of the year, including partnerships in data centers and AI processing.
- The INDUS Innovation program will enhance industry-academic collaboration in space, energy, and biotechnology.
- India will expand its pharmaceutical manufacturing presence in the U.S., focusing on critical medicines.
- A new Strategic Mineral Recovery initiative will focus on rare earth minerals, lithium, and cobalt for high-tech industries.
- The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and India’s Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) signed an MoU to advance research cooperation in critical technologies.
Energy Collaboration
- The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the India-U.S. Energy Security Partnership.
- India will seek full membership in the International Energy Agency (IEA) with U.S. support.
- The India-U.S. 123 Civil Nuclear Agreement will advance plans for U.S.-designed nuclear reactors in India.
- Collaboration on small modular reactors (SMRs) will support India's expansion of nuclear energy production.
People-to-People Ties and Migration
- Both sides pledged to enhance educational cooperation, including joint degree programs and offshore university campuses.
- The Indian student community in the U.S., which contributes over $8 billion to the economy, will benefit from streamlined student and professional mobility.
- Measures will be taken to combat illegal immigration, human trafficking, and organized crime.
Multilateral and Security Cooperation
- India and the U.S. strongly criticized Pakistan’s failure to act against terrorism, specifically calling for accountability for the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks.
- President Trump announced the approval of Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India, a key demand in India’s counterterrorism efforts.
- PM Modi will host President Trump at the next Quad Leaders’ Summit alongside Japan and Australia.
- The leaders discussed expanding the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) and the I2U2 Group (India, Israel, the U.S., and the UAE) with new initiatives expected in 2025.
- A new Indian Ocean Strategic Venture will focus on economic and security cooperation.
- Meta announced a 50,000 km undersea cable project to improve digital connectivity.
This high-level meeting reinforced the growing India-U.S. partnership in defense, technology, trade, and global security, marking a significant step in strengthening strategic ties between the two nations.
