G7 summit: PM Modi, Trump set for first bilateral meeting in 16 months

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France.

The meeting will be the first formal in-person talks between the two leaders since their last bilateral engagement at the White House in February 2025.

The two leaders were seen briefly interacting earlier today as they arrived for the G7 Summit. Visuals from the venue showed PM Modi and Trump exchanging a handshake and engaging in a short conversation before joining other world leaders for the summit proceedings.

PM Modi is attending the G7 Outreach Session in France, where he is expected to exchange views with global leaders on major geopolitical and economic issues.

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Trade deal in focus

The Modi-Trump meeting comes at a significant time for India-US relations, with both countries engaged in negotiations for an interim trade agreement.

Since the leaders last met, bilateral ties have faced challenges on the trade front. The United States imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods and an additional 25 per cent penalty linked to India's purchases of Russian oil.

While Washington later withdrew the penalty component and reduced the overall tariff burden, the issue remains an important point of discussion between the two countries.

At the same time, New Delhi and Washington have made progress in trade negotiations and are expected to move closer to a formal agreement. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to visit India later this month as talks continue.

Hormuz incident and diplomatic tensions

The meeting also comes days after three Indian nationals were killed in a strike carried out by the US Navy in the Strait of Hormuz during the recent conflict in West Asia.

India responded by lodging a diplomatic protest and summoning the US Deputy Chief of Mission twice. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, conveying India's concerns and stating that lethal actions against commercial shipping were unjustified.

The United States, however, defended its actions, arguing that violations of its naval blockade and the alleged transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated.

Effort to stabilise ties

The upcoming talks are expected to provide an opportunity for both leaders to address recent areas of disagreement and strengthen cooperation.

While PM Modi and Trump shared a close relationship during Trump's first term, ties have been tested by tariff disputes and Trump's repeated claims that he helped end India-Pakistan hostilities last year — assertions that New Delhi has publicly rejected.

Apart from his engagement with Trump, PM Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates during the summit, underscoring India's active diplomatic outreach at the G7 gathering.