Bromance

How the Indian PM and the US president do the tango of 'America First' and 'India First'—similar sounding mottos that make them partners, mainly in politics, as well as competitors, especially in trade

- Seema Guha

When Donald Trump feted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great leader” and was called a “friend” in return, the spotlight was back on what is often labelled a 'bromance' that dates back to his first stint as President of the United States. The personal chemistry, after all, was intact despite the deportation drive in which at least 388 Indians—going by Indian government figures—have been sent back to India, including some in chains, since Trump’s second inauguration. Then, on March 17, Trump shared a video link to Modi’s conversation with podcaster Lex Fridman in which the Indian PM says, “I stand for India First”, while Trump is for “America First”, and also recalls the 2019 Howdy Modi event in Houston where the US president “sat down below (in the audience), listening to me speak”, to praise his “remarkable gesture” of “humility”.

Earlier, on February 13, at a public appearance with Trump during his visit to the US, Modi said, “Borrowing an expression from the US, our vision for a developed India is to ‘Make India Great Again’, or MIGA. When America and India work together, when it’s MAGA plus MIGA, it becomes mega—a mega partnership for prosperity.” Later, in his interaction with Fridman, Modi said Trump seemed “far more prepared than before” and had a “clear roadmap in his mind, with well-defined steps”. Indeed, unlike during Trump’s first tenure, when New Delhi was nervous, not knowing what to expect, this time there is confidence that India has got his measure, and cautious optimism that any disruptions the mercurial president’s unanticipated moves cause can be handled.