WASHINGTON — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United States on Wednesday for a two-day visit, during which he is set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House.
Trade and tariff concessions are expected to be at the top of the agenda during the discussions between Modi and Trump on Thursday. The Trump administration has long criticized India’s high tariffs, which it says restrict U.S. imports, and Trump has threatened to impose reciprocal tariffs in response.
As part of his visit, Modi met with Tulsi Gabbard, the newly appointed U.S. Director of National Intelligence.
Gabbard, a former U.S. representative with little prior intelligence experience, was confirmed as the nation’s top intelligence official on Wednesday after securing Republican support. Once seen as a controversial pick, Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, later endorsed Trump, and joined the Republican Party in 2024.
During his White House meeting with Trump, Modi is expected to propose increased energy and defense imports, strengthening economic and security ties between the two nations.
The visit comes amid heightened trade tensions, as Trump has vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs on countries that maintain high duties on U.S. imports, a move that has raised concerns about a widening global trade war.
