Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister and current Asia Society Global President, told NDTV that President Trump regards India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a highly favourable light, a sentiment that he believes strengthens India’s position in the stalled U.S. trade negotiations.
The talks, which centre on tariff barriers and market‑access disputes, have seen India trade with the United States at around $200 billion last year, a figure that has grown steadily over the past decade.
Rudd stressed that while negotiators will push and shove on technical points, the final agreement will be a political decision between Trump and Modi, underscoring the primacy of executive diplomacy over bureaucratic bargaining.
In the same interview, Rudd praised Modi’s outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine crisis, noting that India’s diplomatic pressure could help bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table.
He also highlighted the U.S. Quad’s continued relevance, pointing to joint maritime patrols and mineral‑supply discussions, and said a summit of the four leaders is likely in the coming months, though U.S. midterms may affect timing.
Rudd closed by noting India‑Australia trade now exceeds A$50 billion and that increased investment in critical minerals could deepen the partnership, a development that could shape the trajectory of the U.S.‑India trade dialogue.