Modi, Trump advance US‑India trade deal at G7 summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian‑les‑Bains, France, on 17‑18 June 2026. The leaders said the two sides were “very close” to concluding an interim bilateral trade agreement and instructed officials to work toward a “balanced, mutually beneficial and commercially meaningful” deal as soon as possible. The U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, is slated to travel to India the following week to put the final touches on the framework.

The talks also covered broader strategic cooperation, including defence, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and technology partnerships. Modi raised the safety of Indian seafarers after three Indian sailors were killed in a U.S. strike near Oman, and Trump pledged that the United States would come to India’s aid if it were attacked, despite the absence of a formal defence pact. Trump praised Modi’s role in recent efforts to de‑escalate the West‑Asia conflict and announced a future visit to India, signalling a thaw in bilateral relations.

Analysts described the meeting as a positive step toward restoring trust and deepening economic and security ties between the two democracies, while noting that concrete outcomes will depend on subsequent negotiations and implementation.