US President Donald Trump has described India as an important strategic partner of the United States and reiterated his personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even as negotiations on a long-pending India–US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) remain stalled.
“India is home to one of the world’s oldest civilisations. It is an amazing country and an important strategic partner for America in the Indo-Pacific region. We have a great friend in PM Modi,” Trump said. His remarks were shared by the US Embassy in India on social media platform X on Tuesday.
The comments come at a crucial time, with India and the US engaged in prolonged negotiations over a comprehensive trade pact that has seen limited progress in recent months. While both sides have repeatedly emphasised the strategic depth of the bilateral relationship, differences persist on key trade issues.
According to official sources, the talks have been held up primarily due to certain US demands for greater market access in sensitive sectors such as agriculture, dairy, and animal products—areas where India has consistently maintained strong protective measures to safeguard domestic farmers and small producers. India has also sought clarity on tariff-related issues and greater access for its labour-intensive exports, including textiles, leather goods, and engineering products.
Despite these challenges, both governments have publicly maintained that the broader India–US relationship extends beyond trade, encompassing defence cooperation, technology partnerships, supply-chain resilience, and shared strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
India and the US have in recent years expanded cooperation through forums such as the Quad, strengthened defence ties through foundational agreements, and increased bilateral trade in goods and services, which crossed $190 billion in recent years.
Trump’s remarks are being viewed as a reaffirmation of the political goodwill between the two leaders, even as negotiators continue to grapple with complex trade-offs required to finalise a mutually acceptable agreement.
Officials on both sides have indicated that discussions are ongoing, though no timeline has been announced for the conclusion of the trade pact.
