Terrorism And Defence To Take Centre Stage When Modi Meets Trump, Says Neelam Deo

The Indian delegation would rather treat Narendra Modi's ongoing visit to the U.S. as a “getting to know Donald Trump visit,” than play up the meet between the two world leaders, said former Consul General of India in New York, Neelam Deo. Donald Trump's unpredictability is what's prompted this cautious approach, she added in an interview to Bloomberg.

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Trade ties, she said, while on the agenda may not be the main focus when Trump and Modi hold their first bilateral talks on Monday. Defence and terrorism is likely to take centre stage, she added. The tension along India's western border with Pakistan and China's growing interest in the Indian sub-continent may also prompt the Indian prime minister to push for greater strategic alliances between the two nations, she added.

When asked about stricter visa norms in the U.S., Deo said, it was for the American technology companies who are dependent on Indian professionals to raise the issue, as their Indian counterparts have already ramped up local hiring in the U.S. Companies like Wipro Ltd. and Infosys Ltd. have also entered into more value added services to expand their offerings she added, as they look to counter pricing pressure and higher costs in the U.S.