'Mr Prime Minister, you are great’: Does President Trump’s signed photo gift to PM Modi signal a thaw in India–US ties?

Sergio Gor, the Ambassador-designate of the United States to India, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 11 October. During the meeting, Gor handed over to Narendra Modi a framed photo of the prime minister and US President Donald Trump during a meeting held earlier this year.

The prime minister expressed confidence that the India–US partnership would further deepen during Gor’s upcoming tenure.

The photo frame, which had come all the way from Washington, DC, contained a handwritten message from President Donald Trump.

"Mr Prime Minister, you are great,” read Trump's message, followed by his signature.

Gor, the White House personnel director and a loyal member of President Donald Trump's inner circle, was nominated as the American envoy to India in August. He is joining the office in a few days.

‘Beyond Grateful’

After meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Gor had said he was “beyond grateful" to Trump for showing "incredible trust and confidence" in nominating him to be his next US Ambassador to India and the Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.

Gor and Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Michael J Rigas, were in India since 9 October to meet with government officials to “discuss a wide range of bilateral issues. Officials said that this will be Gor's short trip to India, and he will assume the role of Ambassador at a later date.

PM Modi also expressed confidence that India-US ties will further strengthen during Gor's tenure.

“Glad to receive Mr Sergio Gor, Ambassador-designate of the US to India. I’m confident that his tenure will further strengthen the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” said PM Modi in a post on X.

India – US Ties

The relations between New Delhi and Washington have been reeling under severe stress after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty for India's purchase of Russian crude oil.

India described the US action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable". India has also been upset over Trump's new policy on H1B visas.

However, the recent phone conversations between Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump have raised hopes for a positive outcome from the ongoing trade negotiations.

PM Modi spoke with President Trump to praise his peace plan for Gaza. Earlier in September, President Trump was the first global leader to call and speak with PM Modi as the prime minister turned 75 the next day on 17 September.

The two countries have already resumed negotiations for the trade deal after a brief hiatus of a few weeks.

Trump - Modi Bonhomie

President Trump has been striking a conciliatory tone in recent statements and has expressed optimism that a trade deal could be finalised soon. This is in contrast with earlier tensions between the two nations marked by sharp jibes by US officials at India over Russian oil purchases.

On 27 August, the day US tariffs on India took effect, former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, however, expressed hope that India would be able to conclude a ‘satisfactory mutually beneficial’ Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US.

Shringla, who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha, expressed hope in the ‘close and special partnership’ between PM Modi and President Donald Trump.

Shringla referred to the "Howdy Modi and Namaste Trump" events, which emphasised the friendship between the two leaders during US President Trump's first term.

'Howdi Modi' and ‘Namaste Trump’

In September 2019, then-US President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Texas at the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event. The mega event was attended by about 50,000 people. PM Modi – a year later – welcomed Trump to Gujarat, his home state, for an even bigger event that was attended by over 120,000 people.

Trump lost the US Presidential Election 2020 to Joe Biden but returned to power four years later.

In February 2025, Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to visit the US since Trump's inauguration for his second term as president in January. The framed photo handed over to the prime minister by Gor on Saturday was from the Trump-Modi meeting in Washington, DC, during the same trip.

India -US trade

In 2024, India and the US conducted trade in goods and services worth $186 billion, with a surplus of $41 billion in India’s favour.

Trump has repeatedly called India a ‘good friend’, but his recent statements and policies on visas and tariffs have affected the relationship.

India's labour-intensive sector exports are expected to decline by up to 70 per cent as US tariffs take effect in August, according to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the

What next?

India is set to host the Quad Leaders Summit later this year, though the date is yet to be finalised. During his visit to the US in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an invitation to Donald Trump to attend the meeting.

With relations under strain, Trump’s attendance at the Quad summit had seemed unlikely. However, recent developments have sparked a degree of optimism in India–US ties.

Last month, Gor said that the president remains committed to sustained engagement with the Quad, hinting he may travel to India later this year for the summit amid trade tensions between the two nations.

(With agency inputs)