Modi congratulates Trump on 'historic election victory'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Donald Trump for a "historic election victory" Wednesday, adding that he was looking forward to working with the vote frontrunner.

"Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory," Modi wrote on social media platform X. "As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration."

Strong diplomatic ties, strategic cooperation, and visible personal camaraderie have marked the relationship between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi.

Their friendship was showcased in large events like “Howdy, Modi!” in Houston in 2019 and “Namaste Trump” in Ahmedabad in 2020, where they addressed huge crowds, highlighting their mutual admiration.

Strategically, Donald Trump and Narendra Modi aligned closely on defence and security. Both leaders shared a hard stance against terrorism, which strengthened ties, especially regarding Pakistan-based threats.

They also shared a vision for a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” collaborating to counter China’s influence in the region. This led to deeper defence ties, joint military exercises, and India’s key role in the Quad alliance with the US, Japan, and Australia.

However, trade was a sticking point. Donald Trump’s “America First” policy led to disputes over tariffs, with the US imposing tariffs on Indian goods and India responding in kind. Despite this, both nations worked toward fairer trade.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, their relationship extended to health cooperation, with India supplying hydroxychloroquine to the US and America later supporting India’s response.