Is Modi avoiding Trump? Indian PM to virtually join ASEAN Summit where US Prez to be present

In a Truth Social post, Trump, whose administration is at the loggerheads with New Delhi, had expressed his hope to meet Modi.

The political world had started assuming that the ASEAN Summit would be the platform where Modi and Trump would meet amid the strained ties between India and the US over tariff war.

But now, Modi has poured water on such a speculation as the PM announced he would participate in the ASEAN-India Summit virtually.

The PM wrote on X, "Had a warm conversation with my dear friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. Congratulated him on Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and conveyed best wishes for the success of upcoming Summits.

"Look forward to joining the ASEAN-India Summit virtually, and to further deepening of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."

As per media reports, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will possibly attend the event, which will be held from October 26 to 28.

PM Modi has remained a regular participant in the event except in 2022 when he did not attend the ASEAN Summit.

So his decision to participate in the event has virtually raised eyebrows in the political circle.

For any US President, it is uncommon to attend this summit as the country is not a member but a dialogue partner.

Implications and Signalling

1. Trade / economic signals

• The absence of a meeting raises questions about the timelines or momentum of an India-US trade deal.
• The virtual attendance may signal India’s reluctance to show closeness at a moment when U.S. – India economic/energy ties are under strain (e.g., tariff hikes, oil imports).
• For U.S. business & diplomatic circles, this might diminish India’s willingness to engage on U.S. priorities at this summit level.

2. Strategic / diplomatic weighting

• A face-to-face meeting with Trump could have reinforced India’s role in the Indo-Pacific strategy, especially given the broader U.S. focus on the region. Skipping it weakens the optics of deep U.S.–India alignment in this forum.
• It sends a message of strategic autonomy: India is signalling it will not always conform to U.S. scheduling or optics. This reinforces India’s “non-aligned” or multi-vector diplomacy approach.
• On the flip side, the U.S. might view this as a missed opportunity to engage India at a summit where other regional players are present, reducing U.S. leverage or influence in the region via India.

3. Regional/ASEAN dynamics

• Within the ASEAN context, India’s less visible presence (travel vs virtual) may reduce India’s leadership or “face” at the summit, relative to other major powers present.
• It may give China, ASEAN itself, or other powers more space to fill the diplomatic vacuum.
• It could reflect India choosing to prioritise bilateral engagements or other forums rather than multilateral photo-ops in this setting.

4. Domestic/political optics

• Domestically in India, this decision may be framed either as pragmatic (festival timing/virtual participation) or as diplomatic caution (avoiding pressurising situations with the U.S.).
• Opposition voices already cast it as avoiding confrontation with Trump.
• It may affect perception of India’s global leadership ambitions: high-profile in-person meetings with major leaders often carry symbolic weight.

5. Signals to third-parties (Russia, China, etc.)

• Given that India continues to import Russian oil and maintain robust relations with Moscow, the decision not to meet could be viewed favourably by Russia (less visible acquiescence to U.S. pressures).
• For China, it may signal that India is not fully aligning with U.S.-driven multilateral initiatives.
• For ASEAN states, India’s less prominent on-site presence might be read as India scaling back its Asia-Pacific engagement visibility (though virtual participation keeps the door open).