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After a major downturn, the relations between India and the US took a positive turn this week after President Donald Trump's "positive assessment" of the India-US
partnership and his appreciation of the "special" relationship between the two nations. The "reset" of India-US ties was possible after political lobbyist Jason Miller hired by India met President Donald Trump, among others, in Washington, sources told Times Now. Miller heads the lobbying firm that the Indian government hired a few months back to push its diplomatic outreach to the Trump administration. "Fantastic week in Washington with so many friends being in town, topped off of course by having the opportunity to stop in and see our President in-action! Keep up the great work,” Miller wrote on X alongside a photo with Trump at the White House. Miller was hired by Indian Embassy in Washington on May 10. As per the US Department of Justice website, Miller will provide "strategic counsel, tactical planning," traditional lobbying services, and perception management and public relations support to Indian Mission when required.
Days later, Times Now raised a question regarding hiring of the lobby firms during an MEA briefing. In his response, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said the practice of hiring lobbyists has been in place under successive governments since the 1950s. "In fact, even beyond that, 1949 first lobby firm was hired in Washington, D.C., possibly others also. These firms have been regularly engaged by the Indian embassy as per the situation, or as per the requirement that arises. All such engagements are available in the public domain, so you can visit the U.S. Department of Justice website and access all the information that is there. In fact, in the run-up to the nuclear deal of 2007, similarly, we had engaged firms to strengthen India's case in the United States," he said.
"I should also add that such a practice is very common among embassies and other organizations in Washington, D.C., and other parts of the United States. Just to give you a little more factual details about it ... in 1949, the embassy had hired Rosen and Fred. In 1954, GoI hired Schaler, Butler Associates. In 1958, GoI hired Moss Edward K. From 1969 to 1974, GoI had hired Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLC. In 1981 to 1983, GoI had Baron / Canning & Co Inc. From 1992 to 1993, GoI had hired International Development Systems Inc. In 2005, till date, GoI has hired BGR Govt. Affairs LLC," he added.
Ice-breaker? Trump Says 'Will Always be Friends'; PM Modi Replies: Fully Reciprocate
The relations between New Delhi and Washington are on a major downturn after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duties for India's purchase of Russian crude oil. India described the US action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable".
After weeks of targeting India, Trump on Saturday appeared to mend ties with New Delhi, saying he will always be "friends with Modi" but added without elaborating that he didn't like what the Indian leader was doing at this "particular moment".
Hours later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said he "fully reciprocated" US President Donald Trump's "positive assessment" of the India-US partnership and his appreciation of the "special" relationship between the two nations, signalling an intent by both the sides to check the downturn in their ties.
It was the first exchange of views between the two leaders after they held a phone conversation on June 17.
Earlier, responding to a question on the possibility of the US resetting relations with India, Trump said both countries have a special relationship and there is "nothing to worry about".
"I will always be friends with Modi, he is a great prime minister, he's great. I'll always be friends but I just don't like what he's doing at this particular moment," he said.
"But India and the United States have a special relationship. There is nothing to worry about," the US president said.
Asked about his social media post on Thursday suggesting that the US was losing India to China, Trump said: "I don't think we have. I have been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil...from Russia."
"And I let them know that, we put a very big tariff on India -- 50 per cent tariff, very high tariff. I get along very well with Modi as you know, he was here a couple of months ago."
"In fact, we went to the Rose Garden, the grass was so soaking wet, it was such a terrible place to have a news conference. We had a news conference on the grass , it was my last news conference we had on the grass."
In his social media post on Thursday, Trump said it appeared the US was losing India and Russia to "deepest, darkest China".
The post came days after the bonhomie among PM Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Tianjin drew global attention.
Senior officials in the Trump administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have expressed confidence that the "two great countries will get this (the trade frictions) solved".
"I think at the end of the day, India is the most populous democracy in the world. Their values are much closer to ours and to China’s than to Russia’s," he added.
Trump's Republican colleague Nikki Haley had also cautioned that ties with New Delhi are critical for Washington if America hopes to contain China's growing global ambitions. In a Newsweek op-ed published Wednesday, Haley said India must not be treated as an adversary like China, and the Trump administration can't let the issues of tariffs or the US role in the India-Pakistan truce drive a wedge between two of the world's largest democracies.
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