PM Modi and Donald Trump reviewed trade, defence, energy and critical technology cooperation as India-US negotiations continue amid tariff and Russian oil concerns.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on Wednesday, reviewing bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy and critical technologies amid ongoing India-US trade negotiations.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest.
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They reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and agreed to maintain close engagement.
The leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments, including ongoing efforts to promote global peace and security.
Modi described the conversation as “productive” in a post on X and said the two sides had agreed to maintain close engagement.
Why is the call important for trade?
The conversation comes as India and the US continue negotiations on a proposed trade agreement.
The two countries have been working towards an arrangement covering bilateral trade, with officials from both sides discussing outstanding issues. Earlier this year, India and the US had described negotiations towards an interim Bilateral Trade Agreement as making substantial progress.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said the negotiations had reached a stage where there was “more or less an understanding” on the trade agreement, while also pointing to unresolved issues linked to US tariff rules and the Section 301 process.
Section 301 of the US Trade Act allows the US government to investigate foreign trade practices it considers unfair and take action, including imposing additional tariffs.
What is the Russia sanctions issue?
The India-US economic relationship is also being discussed against the backdrop of US measures targeting Russia and countries that continue significant purchases of Russian energy.
The material supplied for this report says the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA) could allow the US administration to impose tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, including India and China.
India has raised concerns about the potential implications for its energy security and the wider international energy market.
The Ministry of External Affairs has said India remains committed to ensuring energy security through diversified sourcing and evolving market conditions. It has also said the government would take necessary measures to protect India's trade and economic interests.
What has India said about energy security?
India has maintained that its energy requirements require diversified sources of supply.
The issue of Russian energy purchases has become an important part of the broader India-US economic relationship because measures affecting Russian oil could have implications for India's energy costs, trade flows and relations with Washington.
The Indian government has previously conveyed its concerns about the possible impact of US sanctions and tariffs to American interlocutors.
What about defence and critical technologies?
Defence and critical technologies were also among the areas reviewed by Modi and Trump.
The two countries have been expanding cooperation across defence, strategic technologies and energy. In June, the two leaders reviewed progress under the India-US COMPACT framework and welcomed developments in defence, strategic technologies, energy and bilateral trade.
The latest call indicates that these areas remain part of the broader strategic partnership alongside the trade negotiations.
Modi and Trump also discussed regional and international developments.
According to the Indian government's account, they exchanged views on ongoing efforts to advance global peace and security.
No detailed account of the leaders' discussion on individual international issues was provided in the PMO statement.
Three issues shaping India-US ties
The latest conversation comes at a time when India-US relations involve several interconnected economic and strategic issues.
Trade: India and the US are continuing negotiations on a trade agreement, with tariff-related issues remaining important to the discussions.
Energy: India's continued need for diversified energy supplies intersects with US policy towards Russian energy exports and countries purchasing them.
Strategic cooperation: Defence, energy and critical technologies remain central areas of bilateral engagement, alongside wider discussions on regional and global security.
The September 30 call therefore covered both the established strategic partnership and issues where the two countries continue to negotiate or manage differences. The PMO said the leaders agreed to maintain close engagement, but the call did not announce a new trade agreement or specific tariff settlement.
Published: 30 Sept 2026, 09:04 pm IST
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