A year ago, the US and India were trading jabs. The fights were over tariffs, visa fees, and a border clash.
This week they traded compliments. The two leaders met for the first time in 16 months, then told their teams to finish a trade deal.
The two met at the G7 summit in France. India's government said both sides made real progress on an interim trade deal.
That matters because ties had cooled for a year. Both leaders told their staff to close a fair deal soon.
Officials have already held several rounds of talks on it. Greer's visit next week is meant to push them over the line.
Modi pointed back to their last sit-down, in Washington in early 2025. He said it gave the bond fresh energy.
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The deal is just one piece. The leaders also checked on a wider plan they launched in early 2025.
That plan, called COMPACT, ties the two countries together on defense, energy, tech, and trade. Both sides said it has moved forward since then.
Modi also raised the safety of Indian sailors at sea. He pushed for open shipping lanes and protected crews.
He praised Trump's push for peace in the Middle East, too. The warm words were a clear effort to reset the tone.
The friendly tone marks a real turn. Ties had cooled after the US put tariffs on Indian goods and raised H-1B visa fees, which hit Indian tech workers hard.
The visa fee hike stung the most. It raised the cost of the work visas many Indian engineers use to take US jobs.
It also got personal. Trump said more than once that he helped calm the India-Pakistan clashes in May 2025.
India rejected that. New Delhi said it settled things on its own, with no US role.
For all the smiles, India did not show up as a pushover. Modi pressed on issues of its own.
He asked for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. That narrow sea lane carries a big share of the world's oil.
The ask came for a reason. A recent US strike in the Gulf of Oman killed three Indian sailors.
Think of it like dinner with someone you just argued with. You show up and stay polite, but you keep your guard up.
Greer's trip next week is the real test. Warm words are cheap at a summit, and a signed deal is the hard part.
The summit gave both sides the handshake, but next week's talks decide whether it becomes a deal.
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