US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, with the White House declaring that the two leaders will take relations between the world's two largest democracies to 'new highs'. Trade, technology, investment partnerships, and global security are expected to dominate the agenda when the two leaders meet formally.

'President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have a close friendship, and under their leadership, the Trump administration and Indian government are set to take our two countries to new highs,' White House spokesman Kush Desai said.

What Is on the Agenda

According to the White House, the two leaders are expected to discuss economic growth, supply chains, artificial intelligence, investment partnerships, and a range of global security challenges. The meeting also comes amid active negotiations over a possible bilateral trade agreement and ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the crisis in West Asia.

Desai noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio's recent visit to India had laid important groundwork. 'Secretary Rubio's landmark visit to India built on the President's push to expand bilateral ties and cooperation on trade and national security, including with the signing of a historic MOU on critical minerals,' he said.

First In-Person Meeting Since February Summit

The Evian meeting will be the first face-to-face engagement between Trump and Modi since their summit in February this year. The two leaders had already exchanged greetings on Tuesday on the sidelines of a G7 outreach session titled 'Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity', where they shook hands and held a brief conversation before joining broader discussions attended by G7 nations, partner countries, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank.

Upon arriving in Evian, Modi said he looked forward to engaging with world leaders on major global issues.

Expert Expectations: High but Cautious

Aparna Pande, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said both sides carry significant expectations into the meeting. 'Both sides have high expectations from this meeting, which comes in the backdrop of a possible resolution of the West Asia crisis and amidst discussions over the trade deal,' she said. Pande also stressed that optics would be as important as outcomes. 'Both leaders would like to demonstrate that ties between the two democracies remain strong despite the headwinds and that they would be keen to announce some defense and technology related agreements,' she added.

Atman Trivedi, Partner at Albright Stonebridge Group, North America, described the meeting as a reset opportunity, while urging measured expectations. 'Expectations should be modest and centered around Trump and Modi reaffirming the importance of each other to longstanding shared interests in energy, defense, and technology cooperation,' he said. Trivedi also noted that the recent deaths of Indian sailors in the Gulf of Oman had dealt a blow to bilateral momentum ahead of the talks.

Trade Deal and Strategic Signals

Trivedi said a positive statement on an interim trade agreement remained achievable. 'A positive statement recognizing the significance of an interim trade agreement and urging negotiators to reach a deal in the next month or two should also be achievable,' he said. This comes amid broader signals that both governments are seeking tangible deliverables — not just diplomatic optics — from the Evian engagement. Notably, this is the third high-profile India-US leadership interaction in 2025, underlining the pace at which ties are being actively managed at the top.