Breaking Boundaries: Modi’s US Trip Reveals Explosive Encounters with Waltz and Musk!
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington, DC on Wednesday evening eastern time (early Thursday morning IST) for an official working visit to meet President Donald J Trump, making him only the fourth foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump took office.
Modi met with Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence; Michael Waltz, the National Security Advisor (NSA); Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE); and Indian-American politician Vivek Ramawamy, who served briefly as DOGE’s co-leader.
Trump had planned to host Modi for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office later on Thursday evening eastern time (early Friday morning IST) and dinner. The two leaders were also scheduled to hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House.
Soon after landing in a freezing DC, Modi wrote on X, “Landed in Washington DC a short while ago. Looking forward to meeting @POTUS Donald Trump and expanding the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Our nations will continue to collaborate closely for the benefit of our people and a brighter future for our planet.”
In the run-up to the talks, the US made it clear what it expected from India in terms of defence, energy, and trade.
A senior Trump administration official briefed reporters on Thursday morning eastern (Thursday evening IST), saying, “We will aim to build on defence sales to India to ensure they prioritise the use of American technology.” The President is also committed to bringing American energy to the rest of the world, with India as a key importer of American natural resources to power their economy.
The two leaders will talk about how to improve our trade relationship, reduce our bilateral trade deficit, and ensure an expanded fair trade relationship. Expect President Trump and Prime Minister Modi to discuss how to strengthen the Quad partnership to promote stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific.”
A second official stated that the Trump administration had reacted positively to India’s “early body signals” on tariffs, and that India and the US hoped to reach a fair trade agreement this year. The official stated that discussions on Indian defence procurements from the United States were progressing well and that technology cooperation, particularly in the areas of semiconductors, critical minerals, and supply chain diversification, would continue.
The Trump administration official recalled the “natural warmth…bonhomie” between the two leaders and their public rallies in Trump’s first term. They also stated that the president and PM had the closest relationship among all leaders in Quad.
Modi is staying at Blair House, the presidential guest house adjacent to the White House. He began his visit by meeting key figures in Trump’s world, establishing new relationships and reconnecting with old acquaintances.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and India’s Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra were all present at the meetings. Doval’s presence was especially noteworthy because he had not visited the United States since September 2024, just days after a New York judge issued summons against him in a case filed by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in connection with an alleged assassination plot.
Intelligence, security, and technology discussions
Modi’s first meeting on Wednesday evening (early Thursday morning IST) was with Gabbard, who oversees all 17 of America’s intelligence agencies. Gabbard was confirmed by the Senate just hours before taking her oath in front of Trump in the White House. The meeting with Modi marked her first official engagement with a foreign leader. Gabbard, a Hindu from Hawaii, has previously met Modi and gifted him a copy of her personal BhagwadGita. Gabbard was joined by her husband, photographer Abraham Williams.
Shortly after the meeting with Gabbard, Modi wrote on X, “Congratulations on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she has always been a strong supporter.”
According to a more detailed statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Minister fondly remembered his previous meetings with Gabbard. “The discussions focused on improving bilateral intelligence cooperation, particularly in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, emerging threats, and strategic intelligence sharing.
They also discussed regional and global developments of mutual interest, reaffirming their support for a secure, stable, and rules-based international order.” During her confirmation hearing, Gabbard specifically mentioned Chinese cyber attacks as a major concern, which India has also been dealing with.
On Thursday morning, Trump’s NSA, Michael Waltz, visited Modi at Blair House. Waltz, a former co-chair of the House India Caucus, is a key ally of India in the Trump administration and was instrumental in organising the visit with his team, particularly national security council senior director for South and Central Asia Ricky Gill, who accompanied Waltz to the meeting.
After what he called a “fruitful meeting” with Waltz, Modi wrote on X, “He has always been a great friend of India. Defence, technology, and security are critical aspects of India-USA relations, and we had an excellent discussion on these topics. There is significant potential for collaboration in fields such as AI, semiconductors, space, and others.”
Modi’s post makes numerous references to defence and technology in various dimensions, implying that technical cooperation will remain a key focus in the relationship. The initiative on critical and emerging technologies is led by the National Security Agency. This was Modi’s second meeting with the US NSA; the Prime Minister previously met Waltz during his visit to India for Independence Day celebrations in 2023.
In a more detailed statement about the meeting, the MEA emphasised nuclear cooperation, which is also expected to appear in the joint statement later that day. The statement continued: “The discussions touched upon ways to further deepen the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, with a focus on strategic technologies, as well as defence industrial cooperation and civil nuclear energy with an emphasis on small modular reactors, and counterterrorism.”
The Musk connect
Modi also met Musk, the head of the department tasked with shrinking the American federal government, dismantling regulations, and cutting costs. Musk was Trump’s largest election donor, and he has emerged as a key figure in Trump’s world, not only in terms of remaking the American state, but also in foreign and technological policy.
His ownership of X, Tesla, Starlink, SpaceX, and Neuralink grants him unparalleled power in the fields of social media, electric vehicles, satellite-based Internet communication, space, and cutting-edge neuro health technology.
“I had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We talked about a variety of topics, including space, mobility, technology, and innovation, all of which he is very passionate about. I discussed India’s efforts to reform and advance ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,'” Modi wrote in a post on X following the meeting.
According to a statement from the MEA, Modi and Musk “had discussed strengthening collaboration between Indian and US entities in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development.” Their discussion also included ways to strengthen cooperation in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, and good governance.”
Musk was accompanied by his children and was wearing his signature black “Make America Great Again” cap.
Modi has met Musk twice before, in California in 2015 and in New York in 2023. Last year, India implemented a new EV policy in hopes of attracting investment from Tesla, but Musk, almost simultaneously, decided to deepen his engagement with China rather than invest in a new plant in India, which was the basis of the negotiations with Delhi.
Musk is also interested in expanding Starlink into India, which has raised concerns among both the national security community and other Indian space-related businesses.
Remembering Ramaswamy
Modi also met Ramaswamy, an Indian-origin candidate in the Republican presidential primary who later shifted his support to Trump.
Ramaswamy has been somewhat marginalised from Trump’s world in recent weeks, following reports of disagreements with Musk and alienating the core Trump base for his criticism of American “culture”.
However, he intends to run for governor of Ohio in 2026, is close friends (and former Yale law school classmates) with Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, and is expected to remain a prominent figure in the “America First” movement given that he is under 40.
