Modi Is Hedging Against Trump, One Deal at a Time

What the report says

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been working to broaden his country’s international partnerships as relations with the United States become less predictable under President Trump, according to The New York Times. The article says Modi has spent the year traveling widely and pursuing agreements in multiple countries, reflecting an effort to reduce dependence on Washington and keep India’s economic and diplomatic options open.

The Times frames these moves as a form of hedging: New Delhi is trying to preserve ties with the United States while also deepening cooperation elsewhere. The reported backdrop is concern in India that U.S. policy under Trump may be less reliable than in the past, especially on trade and broader strategic questions. The deals described by the paper appear to be part of a broader push to secure alternative partners across regions.

The development matters because India is a major power whose foreign policy choices affect supply chains, security alignments and competition with China. More generally, the article suggests that countries with close ties to the United States are reassessing those relationships amid uncertainty in Washington. The specific agreements and terms were not available in the provided text, so additional detail should be treated cautiously pending the full report.