The U.S. president-elect will be “best friends” with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an adviser to Donald Trump told in an interview.
Shalabh Kumar, an Indian émigré businessman, is Trump’s point person for outreach to Indian-American voters.
The Chicago-based Kumar emigrated from India in 1969 and founded the Republican Hindu Coalition, a political interest group, last year.
In an interview, US-based businessman Shalabh Kumar who is also Trump’s adviser on Indian-American voters said, Trump and Modi will be best friends. “Not only the two nations will be best friends, but these two guys will be best friends. Donald Trump knows about Modi through me. He is very keen to learn about Modi,” he said.
On being asked about South Asian security in the context of India’s rivalry with Pakistan, Kumar said, Trump is already in talks about cross-border terrorism and he recognises Pakistan as a “perpetrator of terrorism”.
“What I expect from him is a full expression of support for the surgical strikes that Modi ordered. The war against radical Islam is going to be properly prosecuted. He is going to find great partnership with India in that,” Kumar added.
Expressing his desire for trade between the US and India to double to $250 billion within a year or two, Trump’s adviser said that if given a ‘fair trade deal’, Trump will consider expanding trade with India.