Trump-PM Modi bilateral seen as chance to reset ties
Washington, June 17
As US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepared for talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, Indian American lawmakers and experts called for a reset in relations, arguing that stronger economic and strategic cooperation would benefit both nations.
Leading that view was Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who said he hoped Trump would use the meeting to repair ties with one of America's most important partners.
"The expectation would be for President Trump to normalise relationships with India," Subramanyam told IANS on the eve of the meeting.
"He has strained the relationship with some of his actions, for instance, the tariffs and other you know, words that he said about Modi himself and India."
The Virginia Democrat said he hoped Trump would emerge from the meeting focused on rebuilding ties with New Delhi.
"And so hopefully he comes at a meeting normalising a relationship with an ally one of many allies whom he is alienated," he said.
Trade should be at the centre of efforts to improve relations, according to the Congressman.
"Let's start with trade for instance," he said. "They increased the tariffs significantly."
While some of those tariffs have since been rolled back, Subramanyam said businesses in Virginia have already felt the consequences.
"I think there's a, a lot of business people in Virginia who rely on the trade between India and the United States and have seen their businesses suffer and seen prices go up because of that," he said.
Subramanyam argued that deeper economic cooperation would strengthen both countries and help address wider strategic challenges in Asia.
"I think it's good for everyone if the US and India and all countries that are allies and our partners in democracy can figure out that economic bond and can continue to figure out ways to counter what's happening as China continues to ex exude its influence over Asia," he said.
Asked about his expectations from the Trump-Modi meeting, Subramanyam stressed the importance of expanding business and economic engagement.
"India is a huge economic engine. United States is a massive global economic power, and the two countries working together to improve relations and improve ties and improve business dealings is better for both countries," he said.
He added: "We should be working collaboratively with all partners to increase economic activity in the United States."
Delegate Jas Jeet Singh of the Virginia House of Representatives echoed those concerns, particularly on trade.
"We have to make sure that we do not harm our trading allies by imposing unilateral tariffs that don't necessarily make our country better off," Singh told IANS.
"In fact, they make things more expensive here and they upset our trading partners."
He argued that Washington should pursue "a rational economic policy that doesn't impose unilateral tariffs".
Like Subramanyam, Singh said the Trump- PM Modi meeting presents an opportunity to strengthen one of the world's most consequential bilateral relationships.
"I think we need to do everything we can to improve our relations," he said.
"India is a huge economic engine. United States is a massive global economic power, and the two countries working together to improve relations and improve ties and improve business dealings is better for both countries."
Singh said cooperation, rather than confrontation, should guide policy.
"I think having antipathy for other countries for no reason other than just general antipathy doesn't help anybody," he said.
"We should be working collaboratively with all partners to increase economic activity in the United States."
Asked what message he would send to Trump ahead of the meeting, Singh replied: "I hope that he fosters strong ties with our partners to build and create more good jobs in the United States."
Beyond trade, Singh said strong India-US relations matter to Indian Americans, many of whom closely follow developments between the two countries.
The Virginia lawmaker also highlighted the contribution of the Indian American community.
"Indian Americans are some of the backbone that makes Virginia great," he said, noting that South Asians account for about 40 per cent of his district in Loudoun County.
An academic perspective came from Dr Narendra K. Rustagi, Professor and Director of the Center for Global Business Studies at Howard University. He expressed confidence in the long-term trajectory of the relationship despite current disagreements.
"I think the India US relationship would improve because I believe the two are natural allies," Rustagi told IANS.
He said policy differences between Washington and New Delhi should not obscure their shared interests.
Rustagi argued that the strengths of the two countries complement each other. "I see the relationship would grow and evolve further because both countries, or it's in the interest of both countries to have each other because India has the large educated manpower as we know," he said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an American who does business with Indian companies, I can tell you these tariffs have been a nightmare. My supply chain costs went up 15% last year. We need leaders who understand that cooperation beats confrontation every time. Modi and Trump need to sort this out.
The China factor is real. If US and India don't get their act together, China will fill the vacuum in trade and strategic influence. We need a proper trade deal that benefits both - maybe something like a mini-FTA? And please, no more unilateral tariff actions. Enough is enough.
Dr. Rustagi's point about natural allies is spot on. Democracies with shared values should be working together, not squabbling over tariffs. But let's be honest - Modi needs to push back on Trump's immigration policies too. So many skilled Indians are stuck in visa backlogs. That's a real issue for our community.
The Indian American lawmakers quoted here make excellent points. But Trump has a history of being unpredictable. Modi will need to use all his diplomatic skills to get a fair deal. Trade should be win-win, not a zero-sum game. Fingers crossed 🤞
Chalo, at least the G7 platform gives them a chance to talk face to face. Our PM is a master negotiator - remember how he handled the oil price issue with Saudi? I'm cautiously optimistic. But Trump needs to understand that India is not a pushover. We have our own interests and red lines.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.