Indian and US diplomats are trying to arrange a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in February in Washington, Reuters reported, citing Indian sources familiar with the talks.
India is a strategic partner of the United States in its efforts to counter China and wants to strengthen its trade relations with the United States, as well as ease the procedure for obtaining visas for skilled workers for its citizens.
Trump's return to the White House has raised concerns among officials in Delhi about the possibility of imposing tariffs on India, which he included in the list of countries that have imposed high tariffs on US products.
According to the sources, Delhi is ready to make some concessions to Washington, although it has not yet been officially notified of American plans to impose them. of retaliatory tariffs and is also ready to offer incentives to attract more American investment to India.
Officials hope that a meeting with Modi early in Trump's term would help set a positive start to relations.
Trump visited India during his previous term in February 2020. Then he was welcomed by more than 100,000 Indians at a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, where he promised India an "incredible trade deal."
The United States is India's largest trading partner, and the total value of bilateral trade between the two countries is expected to exceed $118 billion in 2023-2024.
Other topics of conversation between the two leaders are likely to be strengthening the partnership in the technology sector and defense, Reuters sources said.