Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to meet his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Malaysia on Friday, to ease the strain on punitive tariffs imposed by Trump, Reuters reported citing two officials. The meeting is also likely to pave the way for a bilateral visit between India and the US as the former navigates the levies.
“It is expected that the meeting will yield positive outcomes and pave the way for a bilateral visit, of either Hegseth to India or Singh to Washington,” Reuters quoted one of the officials as saying.
India-US defence leaders’ meet: What’s on agenda?
The scheduled talks between India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh and US’ Pete Hegseth is a first between the two leaders on the sidelines of the regional ASEAN defence ministers’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
The meeting is expected to include a review of India’s plans to purchase military hardware from the US such as six Boeing P8I aircraft for the Indian Navy, as well as a fresh India-US defence cooperation framework, the officials said.
Previously, Singh had planned to meet Hegseth in Washington, but the trip was cancelled amid strained India-US ties – after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% that month – as a punitive measure on India for its purchases of Russian oil.
Trump, speaking in South Korea on Wednesday during a tour of Asia, said that he wanted to reach a trade deal with India.
What Trump said about ties with India?
US President Donald Trump said, “I’m doing a trade deal with India, and I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. We have a great relationship.”
Trump’s comments come as India navigates 50% tariffs on all goods along with the latest 100 per cent levy on branded and patented pharmaceutical products.
On Thursday, Trump further claimed he called Modi during the India-Pakistan conflict in May. Modi allegedly asked for a trade deal, but Trump said he refused due to the conflict.
“I called Prime Minister Modi and said, we can’t make a trade deal with you. [PM Modi said] No, no, we must make a trade deal. I said, no, we can’t. You’re starting a war with Pakistan. We’re not going to do it,” Trump said.
Last week, commerce minister Piyush Goyal asserted that talks regarding the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement are “progressing in a cordial manner,” and that there is ‘no agreement until interests of the nation – India’s farmers, India’s fishermen, India’s MSME sector are fully addressed.’
Rajnath Singh is expected to deliver remarks at the ASEAN meeting on November 1, India’s defence ministry said in a statement earlier.