US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US envoy to India Sergio Gor confirmed on X. The call comes amid ongoing India–US trade negotiations and tensions over tariffs. This was the first call since the India–EU deal.
Hours earlier, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he welcomes investment from India and China in Venezuela’s oil sector. He also shared a cover of latest news magazine of himself with Modi featured with the title ‘Newsmakers of the Year 2025,’ captioning it “The mover & the shaker,” and later posted an image of New Delhi’s India Gate, describing it as a “beautiful triumphal arch.”
India-US trade tensions
The conversation is happening amid tensions over US’ decision to impose tariffs on India, including a 50% levy linked to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian crude.
Trump has also claimed that several countries, including India, are expected to begin importing oil from Venezuela, indicating recent legal reforms that opened the sector to private investment.
Their previous call happened on December 11 after President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India.
‘Father of all deals’
India has been pushing to finalise a comprehensive trade agreement with the United States. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has described the proposed pact as the “father of all deals,” expressing optimism about a swift conclusion. The agreement is viewed as key to expanding market access, boosting exports, and supporting India’s goal of reaching $2 trillion in exports by 2032.
What PM Modi-Trump spoke in their December call?
During their December call, the two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral ties and discussed key regional and global developments. On December 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X that President Trump had expressed satisfaction with the “steady strengthening” of the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership across all areas of cooperation.
The conversation also covered major regional and international issues, with Modi and Trump agreeing to work closely to address shared challenges and advance common strategic interests. Modi said India and the US would “continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity.”