Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump are scheduled to meet face-to-face for the first time in 16 months on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France. Top of the agenda is the acceleration of an interim India-US trade deal; however, New Delhi remains cautious, ensuring that its exporters maintain a competitive edge over regional rivals like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia while navigating sticky issues like penal US tariffs. Beyond trade, the bilateral talks will address critical minerals, supply chain security, AI cooperation, and the volatile West Asia landscape. Crucially, PM Modi faces intense internal pressure to directly confront President Trump regarding the recent tragic killing of three Indian seafarers by US forces in the Gulf of Oman, an incident that has sparked widespread public anger and formal diplomatic protests from socio-economic bodies in India.