Modi And Trump Held Eight Conversations In 2025 Amid India-US Trade Talks: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone eight times during 2025, highlighting continued high-level engagement between New Delhi and Washington even as differences persisted over trade and tariff matters.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the statement while responding to remarks by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who had suggested that negotiations on a proposed India-US free trade agreement had stalled due to a lack of direct communication between the two leaders. The spokesperson said the description of the talks was misleading and did not reflect the actual progress made.

According to the MEA, India and the United States had committed to pursuing a bilateral trade agreement as early as February 13, 2025. Since then, several rounds of discussions have taken place, and on multiple occasions the two sides were close to reaching a mutually beneficial deal. India, the spokesperson said, remains keen on finalising a balanced agreement that serves the interests of both economies.

Clarifying the level of engagement, Jaiswal said Prime Minister Modi and President Trump had spoken eight times over the course of the year, covering a wide range of issues related to the broader India-US partnership, indicating that dialogue at the highest level has been consistent despite ongoing negotiations.