Modi banks on tariff concessions, business deals to win Trump's favour

PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi will come bearing gifts when he meets Donald Trump on Thursday, hoping concessions on tariffs, fresh business deals and the prospect of cooperation on China will win the US president's favour.

Modi wants to avoid the US president's wrath on tariffs and immigration - when they meet on Thursday at the White House.

He will also hold a joint press conference with Trump, the White House said - a rare move from the Indian leader, who is a prolific social media user but seldom takes questions from reporters.

Trump, not yet one month into his presidency, has wielded the threat of tariffs against friend and foe alike to try to extract new trade deals, investment or law enforcement help.

India may not be an exception: Although Trump had a warm relationship with Modi in his first term, he has called India a "very big abuser" on trade and his levies on steel and aluminum hit India particularly hard.

Ahead of his White House meeting, Modi has readied promises including increased liquefied natural gas, combat vehicle and jet engine purchases, according to Indian government officials who declined to be named.

Indian officials are also looking at trade negotiations, possible deals on US agriculture exports to India and investment in nuclear energy, along with tariff cuts in at least a dozen sectors, including electronics, medical and surgical equipment, and chemicals.

Those are areas Trump's team believes India needs to make improvements, according to another person familiar with their thinking.

It's a "gift" for Trump, said one of the sources, who declined to be named as they previewed a private meeting.

Adani issue

For his part, Modi wants help with the case of billionaire Gautam Adani, an ally of his who was indicted by the Justice Department in November over an alleged bribery scheme. Adani denies wrongdoing.

Another thorny issue will be in the background: the alleged Indian intelligence plot to assassinate a Sikh activist in the United States during the administration of Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden.

This time, the tariff issue will be front and centre, said Richard Rossow, head of the India program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

"It's going to be a boxing match," he said. "I think India is willing to take a few hits, but there's a limit."

The US has a $45.6 billion trade deficit with India. Overall, the US trade-weighted average tariff rate has been about 2.2 per cent, according to World Trade Organisation data, compared with India's 12 per cent.

Trump's administration has vowed reciprocal tariffs on every country that charges duties on US imports, a move that will ratchet up fears of a widening global trade war.

What Trump wants

Trump wants more assistance from India on unauthorised immigration. The country is a major source of immigrants to the United States, including a large number in the tech industry on work visas and others in the US illegally.

Modi is expected to meet one-on-one with Elon Musk during his trip to Washington, two people familiar with the plans told Reuters. The billionaire is a key Trump ally and his Starlink company's bid to enter the South Asian market could come up for discussion.

India may prove critical to Trump's strategy to thwart China, which many in his administration see as the top US rival.

India is wary of neighboring China's military buildup and competes for many of the same markets.

Modi also worries that Trump could cut a deal with China that excludes India, according to Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum lobbying group.

"Even though much of the talk will be on the bilateral relationship, on trade, on immigration, defense purchases, the China thread will weave through the meeting," said Lisa Curtis, an India-focused former White House official during the first Trump administration now with the Center for a New American Security think tank.

Still, India tries to avoid direct confrontation with Beijing and maintains a foreign policy of "strategic ambiguity" to avoid picking sides in major international conflicts.

That approach has also meant that India has continued its ties with Moscow as it carries out its war with Ukraine. India has remained a major consumer of Russian energy, for instance, while the West has worked to cut its own consumption since the war started.

Trump spoke on Wednesday with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy about starting negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

The US-India meeting will offer clues as to what, if any, pressure Trump wants major outside powers to apply to advance those talks. (Agencies)