Speaking in a podcast interview weeks before of retaliatory tariffs scheduled by Washington, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said US President Donald Trump was “far more prepared,” presented with a clear roadmap.
Among the trading partners scheduled to pay the duties from April, India is among those that can cause hardship to its exporters in sectors ranging from agriculture to industry.
Aiming to reach two-way trade of $500 billion by 2030, Modi and Trump agreed to settle tariff issues and work on the first segment of a deal by the autumn of 2025 during their meeting last month.
Referring to Trump’s second term, which started in January, Modi remarked in a podcast with American computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman aired on Sunday, “this time, he seems far more prepared than before.”
Modi said, “Trump has a clear road map in his mind with well defined steps, each one designed to lead him towards his goals.”
Running more than three hours, Modi discussed themes ranging from diplomacy and artificial intelligence to his early life in a conversation Fridman termed among the most “powerful” of his life.
Emphasising a close relationship between the leaders, Modi complimented Trump for his humility and grace.
“His (Trump’s) introspection displayed his ‘America First’ attitude, exactly as I think of nation first. We relate so well because, first of all, I stand for India first.
Following negotiations between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia, India’s relations with China improved last year after signing a milestone agreement to reduce military tension on their Himalayan frontier.
“Slowly but surely, trust, enthusiasm, and energy will return,” Modi said on the podcast as the two nations strive to mend ties before a military border dispute in 2020.
“But of course, it will take some time since there’s been a five-year gap,” he remarked, stressing that the two countries’ priorities were to make sure their differences “do not turn into disputes”.
China’s foreign ministry did not reply to Reuters’s request for remarks.
