'Amitabh Bachchan is too tall to play Mr Modi.'
Animal companions are often excellent publicity vehicles for politicians and leaders.
United States President Donald Trump has said the trade deal with India is not finalised, as he stressed that India imposes more tariffs than almost any other country.
Modi, who has infused personal chemistry in his international encounters, has made the special gesture of receiving a foreign leader at the airport only six times.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a news conference on reciprocal tariffs will be made later on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Ukraine conflict and bilateral relations, reaffirming their commitment to global peace and stability.
On Friday, during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, when asked about media reports that some Indian oil companies have stopped taking oil from Russia, had said India has made clear its approach on the issue.
'What the US appears to be doing is to force India to be "the buyer of last resort", on whom their products can be dumped, 1.4 billion people have to eat something, so why not eat American corn?' 'What is exercising the Trump lot is the fact that most of the farms are in solidly Republican Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin,' points out Rajeev Srinivasan.
Trump, who has repeatedly said that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan through trade, last Friday said for the first time that "five jets were shot down" during the fighting.
India has refuted claims made by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that Prime Minister Narendra Modi contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Russia's strategy on Ukraine in light of US tariffs on India.
Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended 2.5 per cent higher on Tuesday after India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the Ukraine conflict and reaffirming the commitment to deepen the India-Russia strategic partnership. The conversation occurred amid US pressure on India over Russian oil purchases.
'Trump is likely being purposefully vague, hoping that this lack of clarity will pressure India, fearing the worst, to agree to scale back its imports of Russian oil.'
Strategic affairs experts express concern over US President Donald Trump's tariffs on India, his 'bullying tactics,' and increasing attempts to hyphenate New Delhi with Islamabad, signaling a potential shift in the bilateral relationship.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has defended his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his meeting with US President Donald Trump, stating that he spoke with India's interests in mind. Tharoor said that Modi's US visit had yielded some positive outcomes for the Indian people and noted that Modi being the fourth world leader to meet Trump after he took office underscored India's growing importance on the global stage. However, he also pointed out that the visit left some questions unanswered, such as why the issue of how illegal immigrants were returned to India was not addressed. Tharoor also criticized the tendency of political parties to oppose each other reflexively, saying that there has to be some give and take in a democracy.
Notably, US President Donald Trump and his administration have continuously targeted India over its purchase of Russian crude oil. India, on the other hand, has always maintained that India's purchases are based on its domestic needs and economic security.
"Their Prime Minister just visited -- he's a great friend -- but I told him, 'You're not treating us right. You charge us 52%, while for years, decades even, we've c'harged you next to nothing. It wasn't until seven years ago, when I took office, that we started pushing back, beginning with China.'"
The agreement was to disengage from remaining standoff sites along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), two days before a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
Days after Russia alleged that Ukraine targeted President Vladimir Putin's official residence in a drone attack, Russian authorities on Thursday said they had shared what they described as evidence related to the incident with the United States, Anadolu Agency reported.
Vance also hinted that the US may drop additional tariffs on countries if the US make a deal with Russia, and also apply more tariffs on the countries to bring this war to a close.
It would be the prime minister's first bilateral visit to the US after Trump became president for a second term.
Reliance Industries cracked 4.42 per cent, while ITC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, InterGlobe Aviation, and HDFC Bank were also among the laggards. However, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, Hindustan Unilever, and State Bank of India were among the gainers.
Mrs Gandhi's power ebbed and peaked with the times. Mr Modi's has almost been constant, barring the few months of hard dip after the 240 seats of 2024, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that India and the United States have set a $500 billion target for bilateral trade by 2030 and added that the teams of two nations will work together to finalise a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
India's economy experienced a growth of 7.8 per cent during the October-December quarter of 2025-26, according to the new series of national accounts with 2022-23 as the base year.
Real GDP growth surprised on the upside in 2025, but weaker nominal growth, trade uncertainty, and soft demand signal a bumpier road ahead.
US Vice President JD Vance described the evolving US-India relationship as a family-like bond that transcends diplomacy, highlighting how his children have become fond of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their trip to India. Vance shared a heartfelt account of his family's experience, revealing the significance of personal connections in strengthening bilateral ties. He said his three kids have developed rapport with both President Donald Trump and Modi, with Modi's warm reception and gestures impressing the family. Vance also spoke about the hospitality he received from Modi, including a dinner at his residence, and his wife Usha Vance's surprising celebrity status in India.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that an interim trade agreement between India and the US is likely to be signed in March and operationalised in April, with chief negotiators meeting in Washington to finalize the details.
"This time, the country partner of the trade show is Russia. That means we are further strengthening a time-tested partnership through this trade show," the Prime Minister said.
The opposition party reiterated the absolute essentiality of immediate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran.
Trump also repeated his claim that seven fighter jets or more were shot down during the hostilities.
Two 'very smart' leaders of India and Pakistan decided to end last month's conflict that could have turned into a nuclear war, United States President Donald Trump said after holding a rare luncheon meeting with Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House.
Two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his visit to India, during which he assured that Moscow would remain a reliable energy supplier, the Kremlin on Monday said that India, as a sovereign nation, is free to buy oil from sources it deems beneficial. It expressed confidence that New Delhi will continue to prioritise its economic interests.
United States President Donald Trump for the fourth time in recent days claimed that the Biden administration allocated $21 million funding to India for 'voter turnout', evoking a sharp response from the Congress which urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 'talk to his friend' and strongly refute the allegation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day working visit to the US from February 12 during which he will meet President Donald Trump, the external affairs ministry announced. The visit will give further impetus and direction to India-US bilateral relationship. Prior to his US visit, Modi will be in France from February 10-12 to co-chair the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. He will also visit Cadarache, the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor of which India is a partner. During his visit to France from February 10-12, Modi and Macron will also address the India-France CEOs forum. The prime minister and Macron will travel to Marseille where they will inaugurate the Consulate General of India. The leaders will also visit the war cemetery and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers in World War 1. Modi and Macron will visit Cadarache, the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). There has been a very close rapport between Trump and Modi, dating back to the US leader's first term. There is a clear convergence of interests between the two countries in several areas, including trade, investment, technology, defense cooperation, counterterrorism, Indo-Pacific security, and people-to-people relations.
Will rising tensions between US-Israel and Iran threaten crude oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, putting India's fuel prices, imports, and economic stability at risk?
The Congress on Wednesday termed Chinese claims of mediation between India and Pakistan concerning and said the people of India need clarity on the issue.
Zelenskyy, in a social media post, said Ukraine appreciates India's dedication to "peace and dialogue".
The opposition has been demanding a debate on Operation Sindoor -- the strike on terror sites in Pakistan by the Indian armed forces in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
Trump said he had a series of phone calls on trade with both India and Pakistan.
