NEW DELHI: The White House has described India as one of the United States’ strongest allies, crediting the personal relationship between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for further strengthening bilateral ties.

“India is one of the United States’ strongest allies, which has been bolstered by President Trump’s good relationship with Prime Minister Modi,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told IANS, in remarks made as Modi marked 25 years in public life.

Modi completed 25 years as a continuous head of government on October 7, marking the anniversary of his assumption of office as Gujarat chief minister in 2001. The White House comments came in response to a question about Modi’s milestone and his relationship with Trump.

The statement highlighted the importance of the personal rapport between the two leaders, even as India and the US continue to address differences over trade and other policy issues. The remarks did not announce any new bilateral initiative.

India and the US have expanded cooperation in defence, technology, trade and strategic affairs. In February 2026, the two countries announced a framework for an interim reciprocal trade agreement and reaffirmed their broader bilateral trade negotiations.

The Trump-Modi relationship has also featured prominently in previous engagements. During their February 2025 meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the strength of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and launched the US-India COMPACT initiative covering military cooperation, commerce and technology.

The latest White House remarks come amid continuing trade negotiations between the two countries, which Reuters reported this week had reached a “plateau” amid disagreements over tariffs and India’s purchases of Russian oil.