Unless Modi can find a way to win Trump back, India’s next few years could be difficult

Just months into President Donald Trump’s second term in office, one of the United States’ most important strategic partnerships is in crisis.

Relations between the US and India are at their lowest ebb in a quarter of a century. Things are so bad that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly refused to accept calls from Trump for more than two months.

In recent days, Trump labelled trade ties with India a “totally one-sided disaster” and a report emerged that he is no longer planning to visit India later this year for a summit of the Quad partners (India, the US, Australia and Japan).

"After telling Modi that he would travel to India later this year for the Quad summit, Trump no longer has plans to visit in the fall, according to people familiar with the president’s schedule." As of today, the Quad Summit seems to be on shaky ground. https://t.co/pxej2JdzO9— Kabir Taneja (@KabirTaneja) August 30, 2025

So bad, so quickly

Things were not meant to happen this way. Many in New Delhi were delighted when Trump won the election last year. Modi congratulated his “friend” on X, along with pictures of the two embracing and holding hands.

India’s foreign minister, S Jaishankar, told journalists that while other countries might be “nervous” about Trump’s return, India was not.

Feeling confident, Modi went to Washington to...

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