Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi reported publicly on his call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, posting on X in English about burgeoning cooperation between the two nations and referring to Trump as his “friend.”
The call, initiated by Trump, followed Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Pakistan, where he failed to reach a peace deal with Iranian negotiators, and after most EU nations gave a tepid response to Trump’s call to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Modi wrote: “Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. We also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.”
Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. We also discussed the…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 14, 2026
[NOTE: In February 2020, Trump visited Modi and vowed to strengthen the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership after India bought six Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for roughly $600–800 million. The purchase was part of a larger, $3 billion U.S.–India defense package that also included MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopters.]
Sreemoy Talukdar, senior editor at Firstpost, replied to Modi’s post with optimism: “Two quick points. 1. The PM is back to referring to Trump as ‘my friend’. It indicates synergy may have returned in bilateral ties. 2. The PM ‘stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.’ A clear position in favour of keeping maritime chokepoints coercion-free.”
Two quick points.
1. The PM is back to referring Trump as “my friend”. It indicates synergy may have returned in bilateral ties.
2. The PM “stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.” A clear position in favour of keeping maritime chokepoints…— Sreemoy Talukdar (@sreemoytalukdar) April 14, 2026
Others are more critical in their responses, including, “To be frank, it feels increasingly like a poodle wagging its tail when it gets a bone finally. I would rather PM Modi stick to a formal tone from now [on].”
Another warned Modi about Trump: “He is not your friend. He is your master. You are his puppet.”
Trump’s U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, reported after the Modi-Trump call that both sides were hoping to finalize “incredible deals” before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in India next month for the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting (with Australia and Japan, too). In February, as part of a barrage of investments Trump claims to have secured from foreign governments, the U.S. President said India had committed to buying $500 billion worth of U.S. imports, including energy products (over five years).