San Francisco Frontiers - India's Modi meets Trump, Musk as tariff pressure

Modi's visit to the US capital started with a headline-grabbing encounter with billionaire tycoon Musk, who has launched an aggressive effort as Trump's right-hand man to overhaul the federal bureaucracy.

The Indian premier posted pictures of himself shaking hands with the beaming SpaceX and Tesla tycoon in front of US and Indian flags, with several of Musk's children watching.

During the "very good" meeting Modi said they had discussed issues including his own plans for reform, and Musk's interests in "space, mobility, technology and innovation."

Modi then arrived for talks at the White House, hoping to rekindle the bromance he established with Trump in the US president's first term.

But Trump, who has launched his second presidency with a global trade war and announced reciprocal tariffs on all countries hours before Modi's visit, had a warning.

"India, traditionally, is the highest, just about the highest tariff country. They charge more tariffs than any other country. And I mean, we'll be talking about that," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

"India is a very hard place to do business because of the tariffs."

White House officials said Trump and Modi would be aiming for a "fair" trade deal between their countries -- a long-sought goal -- this year, as well as a new defense partnership and military sales.

"There's a lot of natural warmth dating back to President Trump's first term," a senior Trump administration official said.

But the official said that while there was "early body language from the government of India that has been well received," they were "modest steps" and there remained "a lot more work to do."

- Concessions -

So far Modi has offered quick tariff concessions ahead of his visit, with New Delhi slashing duties on high-end motorcycles -- a boost to Harley-Davidson, the iconic US manufacturer whose struggles in India have irked Trump.

India has already accepted a US military flight carrying 100 shackled migrants last week as part of Trump's immigration overhaul, and New Delhi has vowed its own "strong crackdown" on illegal migration.

For nearly three decades, US presidents from both parties have prioritized building ties with India, seeing a natural partner against a rising China.

But Trump has also raged against India over trade, the biggest foreign policy preoccupation of his new term, in the past calling the world's fifth-largest economy the "biggest tariff abuser."

Former property tycoon Trump has unapologetically weaponized tariffs against friends and foes since his return.

Modi "has prepared for this, and he is seeking to preempt Trump's anger," said Lisa Curtis, the National Security Council director on South Asia during Trump's first term.

One thing Modi is set to avoid, however, is official US scrutiny of his record on the rights of Muslims and other minorities. Trump is unlikely to highlight an issue on which former president Joe Biden's administration offered gentle critiques.

Modi is the fourth world leader to visit Trump since his return, following the prime ministers of Israel and Japan, and the king of Jordan.

The Indian prime minister assiduously courted Trump during his first term.

The two share much in common, with both campaigning on promises to promote majority communities over minorities and both doggedly quashing dissent.

In 2020, Modi invited Trump before a cheering crowd of more than 100,000 people to inaugurate the world's largest cricket stadium in his home state of Gujarat.

Trump could visit India later this year for a summit of the Quad -- a four-way grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

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U.Campbell--SFF