Modi begins US visit, holds meetings with Waltz, Musk
Trump was scheduled to host Modi for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office later on Thursday evening eastern time (early Friday morning IST) and for dinner
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Washington DC on Wednesday evening eastern time (early Thursday morning IST) for an official working visit to meet President Donald J Trump, becoming only the fourth foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump took office.
Modi held meetings with Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence; National Security Advisor (NSA) Michael Waltz; the world’s richest man and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk; and Indian-American politican Vivek Ramawamy who served briefly as the co-lead of DOGE.
Trump was scheduled to host Modi for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office later on Thursday evening eastern time (early Friday morning IST) and for dinner. The two leaders were also expected to address a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House.
Soon after landing in a freezing DC, Modi posted on X, “Landed in Washington DC a short while ago. Looking forward to meeting @POTUS Donald Trump and building upon the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Our nations will keep working closely for the benefit of our people and for a better future for our planet.”
In the run-up to the talks, the US side made its expectations clear from India on defence, energy and trade.
Briefing reporters on Thursday morning eastern (Thursday evening IST), a senior Trump administration official said, “We will aim to build on defence sales to India to ensure they are prioritising the use of American technology. The President is also focused on unleashing American energy to the rest of the world and will prioritise India as a key importer of America’s natural resources to power their economy. The two leaders will discuss how to improve our trade relationship that brings down our bilateral trade deficit and ensure an expanded fair trade relationship. And expect President Trump and PM Modi to discuss how to build up the Quad partnership to promote stability and peace across the Indo-Pacific.”
A second official said that India’s “early body signals” on tariffs had been well-received by the Trump administration, and the hope was that India and the US could move towards a fair trade deal in this calendar year itself. The official noted that discussions on Indian defence procurements from the US were moving positively and added that technology cooperation — especially in the areas of semiconductors, critical minerals and supply chain diversification — would continue. And the Trump administration official recalled the “natural warmth…bonhomie” between the two leaders, their public rallies in Trump’s first term, and said that the president and PM shared the closest relationship among all leaders in Quad.
Modi is staying at Blair House, the presidential guest house next to White House. He kicked off his visit by meeting key individuals in Trump’s world, making some new relationships and reconnecting with some older acquaintances.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vikram Misri and India’s ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra were present in the meetings. Doval’s presence was particularly noteworthy since he had not travelled to the US the last time the PM made a trip in September 2024, days after a New York judge issued summons against him in a case filed by the Khalistani terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun with regard to an alleged assassination plot.
Intelligence, security and tech talks
Modi’s first meeting on Wednesday evening (early Thursday morning IST) was with Gabbard, who sits at the apex of all of America’s 17 intelligence agencies. The Senate confirmed Gabbard just hours earlier, following which she had taken her oath in Trump’s presence in the White Office. The meeting with Modi was her first official engagement with a foreign leader. Gabbard, a Hindu from Hawaii, has met Modi in the past, and has even gifted him a copy of her personal BhagwadGita. Gabbard was accompanied by her photographer husband, Abraham Williams.
Soon after the meeting with Gabbard, Modi posted on X, “Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she’s always been a strong votary.”
A more detailed ministry of external affairs (MEA) statement said that the PM fondly recalled his past engagements with Gabbard. “The discussions touched on enhancing bilateral intelligence cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism, cybersecurity, emerging threats, and strategic intelligence sharing. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, reaffirming their commitment to a secure, stable, and rules-based international order.” During her confirmation hearing, Gabbard had specifically flagged the issue of Chinese cyber attacks as a key concern, an issue that India has also been dealing with.
On Thursday morning, Trump’s NSA Michael Waltz called on Modi at Blair House. Waltz, a former co-chair of the House India caucus, is a key ally of India in the Trump world and played a central role in organising the visit along with his team, especially national security council senior director for South and Central Asia, Ricky Gill, who accompanied Waltz for the meeting.
After what he termed was a “fruitful meeting” with Waltz, Modi posted on X, “He has always been a great friend of India. Defence, technology and security are important aspects of India-USA ties and we had a wonderful discussion around these issues. There is strong potential for cooperation in sectors like AI, semiconductors, space and more.”
The references to defence and technology in its various dimensions in Modi’s post indicates that tech cooperation will continue to be a key focus in the relationship. The initiative on critical and emerging technologies is an NSA-led mechanism. This was Modi’s second meeting with the US NSA, with the PM having earlier met Waltz when he had visited India for the Independence Day celebrations in 2023.
In a more detailed statement about the meeting, the MEA focused on nuclear cooperation, which is also expected to figure in the joint statement later in the day. The statement said, “The discussions touched upon ways to further deepen the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, with a focus on strategic technologies, as well as defense industrial cooperation and civil nuclear energy with an emphasis on small modular reactors, and counterterrorism.”
The Musk connect
Modi also met Musk, the head of the department mandated with the task of downsizing the American federal government, dismantling regulations and cutting costs. Musk was Trump’s biggest donor in the elections and has emerged as a key figure in Trump world not just on matters of remaking of the American State but also foreign policy and technology policy. His ownership of X, Tesla, Starlink, SpaceX and Neuralink gives him unparalleled influence in the world of social media, electric vehicles, satellite-based Internet communication, space and cutting-edge neuro health technology.
“Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,’” Modi said in a post on X after the meeting.
The MEA, in a statement, said the Modi and Musk “had discussed strengthening collaboration between Indian and US entities in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development. Their discussion also touched on opportunities to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and good governance.”
Musk was accompanied by his children and was wearing what has become his trademark black “Make America Great Again” cap.
Modi has met Musk twice in the past, in California in 2015 and New York in 2023. Last year, India introduced a new EV policy that with an eye on attracting investment from Tesla, but Musk, at almost the same time, decided to continue deepening his engagement with China rather than invest in a new plant in India which was the basis of the negotiations with Delhi. Musk is also keen on Starlink entering India, a move that has led to concerns both in the national security community and among other Indian business rivals in the space.
Remembering Ramaswamy
Modi also met Ramaswamy, the Indian-origin contender in the Republican presidential primary who then shifted his loyalties to Trump.
Ramaswamy, amid reports of differences with Musk and after having alienated the core Trump base for his criticism of American “culture”, has been somewhat marginalised from Trump’s world in recent weeks. But he intends to run for the governor of Ohio in 2026, is close friends (and old Yale law school classmates) with Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, and is expected to remain a prominent figure in the “America First” movement given that he is less than 40.