Trump welcomes Modi with warm gesture, bilateral talks focus on shared interests and regional issues

During their White House meeting, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonstrated a strong personal bond, often referred to as a "bromance" in some media outlets. Despite Trump's previous comments on tariffs and Brics nations, their meeting was marked by a united front, with Modi praising Trump while seeking to avoid steep reciprocal tariffs. The meeting yielded trade commitments and promises on F-35 jets, with Trump expressing a desire to de-escalate tensions with China during a separate meeting with the Indian prime minister. Meanwhile, Modi met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, discussing key topics such as space, technology, and innovation. During this meeting, Musk gifted Modi a heat shield tile that flew on SpaceX's Starship flight test 5, which was speculated to be a piece of cutting-edge aerospace technology.