By Shivam Patel
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the U.S. on Wednesday for talks with President Donald Trump on trade and other issues, days after many Indians were deported in shackles on a U.S. military plane and more are due to come.
Modi’s February 12-13 schedule was announced by India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday during a press conference, during which he was peppered with questions about the treatment of the 104 deportees on the flight this week despite the close ties between the two countries.
Misri said U.S. authorities had told New Delhi that there were up to 487 more presumed Indian citizens with final removal orders who could still be deported. India will verify their nationality, he said.
In the last 16 years, more than 15,000 Indians have been sent back from the U.S., with a record number during Trump’s last presidency, according to Indian government data.
The latest deportation used a military aircraft because U.S. authorities felt it would be the quickest option, he said.
“In the U.S. system itself, it was described as a national security operation. And that is perhaps one of the reasons why a military aircraft was used,” Misri said, adding that India had agreed to that means of transport.
“In so far as alternatives are concerned, we will consider any alternatives that would be feasible (for future deportations).”
During the U.S. visit, Modi and Trump will discuss trade, defence cooperation and technology, among other issues, he said.
India, a strategic partner of the U.S. as a counter to China, has been keen on more H-1B visas, used by people with specialised skills to work temporarily in the U.S. and often used in the tech sector. India, known for its big IT workforce, accounts for the bulk of such visas issued by the United States.
Late in December, Trump said he fully backed the visa programme for foreign workers.
Trump spoke with Modi on January 27, when he brought up immigration and the need for India to buy more American-made security equipment.
New Delhi is also keen to avoid tariffs that Trump has previously threatened, citing India’s high tariffs on U.S. products.
India is already planning to review import tariffs on more than 30 items, including luxury cars, solar cells and chemicals, a senior Indian official told Reuters this week.
The U.S. is India’s largest trading partner and bilateral trade surpassed $118 billion in 2023/24, with India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion.
Ahead of the trip to Washington, Modi will visit Paris from February 10 to 12 for an AI summit, during which he will also hold a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
(Reporting by Shivam Patel; Writing by Sakshi Dayal and Krishna N. Das; Editing by YP Rajesh and Alison Williams)
