working closely with Prime Minister Modi, and bringing in business policies to the advantage of both countries. Thus far, President Trump has more or less lived up to what he had been saying all along his election campaign. Even though his travel ban has had a huge backlash, and the matter is now in court, it did not stop him from acting on something he had been addressing during his campaign. There is good reason, therefore, that he’ll keep his word and work closely with PM Modi. It is in the interests of both the American and Indian economies that this happens. As Shalabh Kumar, founder of the RHC says, “President Trump’s mantra of Buy American and Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India are not mutually exclusive because trade need not be a zero-sum game.” 

Kumar who found himself in Donald Trump’s inner circle during the course of the campaign believes that a harder line to stem the huge trade surplus with China, and correct Beijing’s unequal terms of trade, will provide India an opportunity to fill the void by exporting more manufactured goods to the USA. He believes that balanced trade can help both countries increase their exports to each other, create jobs and boost investments. Kumar expects trade between India and the US that is over USD 100 billion now to rise to at least USD 300 billion by the end of Trump’s current term. Kumar personally gave USD 898,000 to the Trump Victory Fund, a joint programme of the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and state organizations. Our cover story looks at the opportunity of strengthening ties. 

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