Revealing the content of the latest phone call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Modi

Trump himself later told reporters that they had also discussed immigration and that Modi would visit the US sometime in February. The White House had previously said plans for Modi's visit had been discussed by the two leaders.

In a phone call that the White House described as "constructive," the leaders discussed expanding and deepening cooperation as well as issues including security in the Indo-Pacific region, the Middle East and Europe.

Reuters reported last week that Indian and US diplomats are trying to arrange a meeting between the two leaders as early as February.

Mr Trump and Mr Modi had a good relationship during the US president’s first term, but during his re-election campaign, Mr Trump called India a “massive abuser” on trade and pledged to impose tariffs on global imports to the US to correct the imbalance. Mr Trump has also threatened the BRICS group, which includes India, with tariffs if they do not accept his demand that they commit to not creating a new currency.

According to the White House statement, in the phone call on January 27, Mr. Trump "emphasized the importance of India increasing its purchases of US-made security equipment and working toward a fair bilateral trade relationship."

The US is India's largest trading partner, with two-way trade exceeding $118 billion in 2023-24, with India posting a surplus of $32 billion.

India is also an important strategic partner in America’s efforts to counter China, and in a social media post on January 27, Mr. Modi called Mr. Trump a “dear friend” and said they were “committed to building a partnership of trust and mutual benefit.”

"We will work together for the welfare of the people and for global peace, prosperity and security," Mr. Modi said.

A statement from India said the leaders discussed technology, trade, investment, energy and defence and "agreed to maintain communication and meet at an early date at a mutually convenient time".

The White House said Mr Trump and Mr Modi stressed their commitment to the Quad grouping, which includes the US, India, Australia and Japan, as India plans to host a Quad leaders summit later this year.

Tanvi Madan, an India expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said it was likely that Mr Modi would visit Washington soon, and Mr Trump would reciprocate by attending the Quad summit.

“Trade and immigration issues are clearly high on the Trump administration’s agenda when it comes to India,” Madan said. “The impact of these will depend in part on how India responds to Trump’s demands, as well as how broader discussions on these issues play out in Washington.”

Madan said India hopes for a change in the US stance on India's close ties with Russia, but in the meantime, it will have to contend with US sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war.

Mr Trump told reporters on January 27 that Mr Modi “will do the right thing” when it comes to taking back Indian immigrants who have entered the US illegally.

In a meeting with India's foreign minister last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the desire to "address concerns related to irregular migration".

Mr Trump has pledged to crack down on illegal immigration, and Bloomberg News reported last week that India and the US have identified about 18,000 Indian immigrants currently in the US illegally.

Trump has said he is open to legal immigration of skilled workers, and India is known for its huge pool of IT workers, many of whom work around the world. They account for the majority of H-1B skilled worker visas issued by the US.