Second Modi-Trump era to begin soon

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President-elect Donald Trump have “reaffirmed their commitment” to working together to further strengthen bilateral ties across a range of sectors, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

In a statement on the phone conversation Modi had with Trump a day ago, the MEA said PM Modi highlighted that the US leader’s “spectacular and resounding victory” in the election reflected the “deep trust” of the American people in his leadership and vision.

Modi warmly congratulated Trump on his “re-election as the president of the United States of America as well as the Republican Party’s success in the Congressional elections”, it said.

“They reaffirmed their commitment to working together to further strengthen bilateral ties across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors,” the statement said.

PM Modi had on Wednesday night posted on X that he had a “great conversation” with his “friend” Trump.

The MEA, in its statement, shared some of the broader points of their telephonic conversation.

Both leaders reiterated the importance of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for the “benefit of the people of the two countries as well as for global peace and stability”, it said.

The MEA statement said:”Reflecting on the positive momentum of the India-US partnership during President Trump’s first term, PM recalled their memorable interactions, including the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston in September 2019 and the ‘Namaste Trump’ event in Ahmedabad during President Trump’s visit to India in February 2020.”

Trump, 78, won the race to the White House to become the 47th President of the US, trouncing his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. Trump had earlier served as the 45th President of the US, after his first victory in the election in 2016.

India said it celebrates the expression of people’s mandate there and wants to further strengthen the partnership.

In response to a question, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that

India celebrates this expression of people’s mandate in the US. “We want to further strengthen our partnership,” he said.

The India-US relationship is set to expand under the Donald Trump administration, but there could be some unease on issues like imports, tariffs and immigration, strategic affairs experts have said after the Republican leader won the fiercely contested presidential election.

The difficult issues between the two sides are likely to be addressed amicably as both PM Modi and Trump have a great friendship, they said.

In his election campaign, Trump proposed higher tariffs on foreign goods, especially imports from China and vowed to rid the US of all undocumented immigrants by launching a major deportation programme.

Shortly after it became clear that Trump would be the next US President, Capitol Hill veteran and Communication Strategist Anang Mittal said leading figures in the Republican Party and conservative intellectuals consider the future of the India-US relationship as “pivotal” in shaping the 21st century.

The Indian Prime Minister was among the world leaders to congratulate Trump on his historic victory.

Under the Biden administration, India-US relations witnessed a major upswing in areas of defence, critical technologies, trade and overall collaboration in the Indo-Pacific.

Trump shares a good rapport with PM Modi and has not shied away from expressing his profound likeness for India and its leadership.

However, Trump has also been critical of India’s trade practices calling it a “tariff king”. A new presidency would bring a fresh set of challenges and opportunities for India.

Trump’s “America First” policy will be a challenge for India as both countries would push for their interests. During his first stint, Trump withdrew from key pacts, such as the Paris Climate Accords and the Iran nuclear deal.

The former US President has been highly vocal about countries imposing high tariffs on US products, vowing to tax back if he comes to power. If Trump goes on that line, it could lead to higher tariffs on Indian exports to the US, particularly in sectors like IT, pharmaceuticals, and textiles.