Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to maintain close contact to advance the two countries’ comprehensive global strategic partnership.
Speaking on the X platform after a phone call on Wednesday, Modi said he had held a “productive conversation” with Trump. Modi said the leaders discussed trade, defense, energy, critical technologies and other areas of bilateral cooperation.
Modi said the conversation also covered regional and international issues, as well as ongoing efforts to advance global peace and security.
Commercial impact of the sanctions law
The call came days after the United States enacted the 2026 law on sanctions against Russia and Iran. The law allows targeted tariffs of up to 100% to be imposed on imports from countries that purchase a large share of their oil or natural gas from Russia and facilitate the evasion of sanctions against Russia.
New Delhi expressed its concerns about the law to the administration in Washington.
Negotiations on bilateral trade
During the phone call, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had begun a visit to the United States to negotiate with American officials. India and the United States announced in February that they had agreed on the terms of an interim framework agreement aimed at resolving their bilateral trade dispute.
Tensions between the two countries had risen after the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Indian products last year. India’s continued purchases of oil from Russia were among the reasons cited for the tariffs.
Trade between India and the United States totaled approximately $149.4 billion in 2025.
