The geopolitical landscape of South Asia has witnessed a dramatic transformation in 2025, with President Donald Trump’s administration adopting an increasingly hostile stance toward India while simultaneously courting Pakistan as a strategic partner. This fundamental shift in U.S. foreign policy, coupled with growing friction over trade disputes and mediation claims, presents compelling arguments for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider India’s defence partnerships, particularly the pending General Electric engine deal, and pivot toward deeper collaboration with France’s SAFRAN.
Trump’s Hostile Turn Against India
The deterioration in U.S.-India relations under Trump’s second term has become unmistakably evident through multiple policy decisions and diplomatic actions. The Trump administration has dramatically reduced National Security Council staffing from over 300 under Biden to potentially just 50 personnel, eliminating dozens of staff members dealing with geopolitical issues, including those focused on India. This restructuring has shifted policymaking to transactional actors like trade advisor Robert Lighthizer, whose focus on tariffs overshadows strategic priorities.
Read- Indian Defence Delegation Meets French Officials In Paris; Rafale Marine Program Formally Launched
The most significant manifestation of this hostility came through Trump’s implementation of reciprocal tariffs, where India faces a baseline 10 percent duty on all exports, with an additional 27 percent country-specific tariff temporarily suspended for only 90 days. Trump has threatened Apple with a 25% tariff if the company sells India-assembled iPhones in the U.S., directly challenging efforts to strengthen U.S.-India economic cooperation and manufacturing partnerships. These measures contradict the earlier announced “Mission 500” initiative aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.
Perhaps most concerning is the absence of high-profile diplomatic representation, with the U.S. Ambassador’s post in India remaining unfilled as of May 2025, undermining India’s status as a “major defence partner” and complicating coordination on critical issues like defence technology transfers. Paul Kapur, nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, has not been confirmed, representing a significant gap in diplomatic representation.
Trump’s Strategic Courtship of Pakistan
In stark contrast to his treatment of India, Trump has elevated Pakistan to unprecedented levels of engagement and strategic importance. The most symbolically significant gesture came when Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House, marking the first time in the 78-year history of Pakistan-U.S. relations that a U.S. President has invited and met a Pakistani Army Chief. The meeting, initially planned for one hour, extended over two hours and took place in both the Cabinet Room and the Oval Office.
Read- 40 China J-35 Jets For Pak, India’s 5th Gen Decade Away: IAF Veterans Weigh In
During this historic engagement, Trump expressed “keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests”. The discussions encompassed expanding bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency and emerging technologies. Trump praised Pakistan’s ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability and appreciated the robust counter-terrorism cooperation between the two states.
Most significantly, Trump publicly credited Pakistan’s military leadership with helping to secure the ceasefire with India, stating “I was honoured to meet him (Munir) today. I invited him to thank him for not going to war. He deserves appreciation for helping secure the ceasefire”. This endorsement came despite India’s clear rejection of any U.S. mediation role in the conflict resolution.
The Mediation Controversy And Diplomatic Friction
Trump’s repeated claims of mediating the India-Pakistan ceasefire have created significant diplomatic friction and crossed India’s established red lines. Trump has made approximately 14 public statements claiming credit for brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following their May 2025 conflict. These assertions directly contradict India’s fundamental position that such matters are bilateral and do not involve third-party mediation.
During a crucial 35-minute phone conversation on June 17, 2025, Prime Minister Modi firmly conveyed to Trump that “India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never do so in the future”. Modi explicitly stated that during the entire sequence of events, there was no discussion at any level about an India-U.S. trade deal or any proposal for American mediation between India and Pakistan. The decision to cease military operations was reached directly between India and Pakistan through existing military-to-military communication channels, initiated at Pakistan’s request.
Read- Modi’s Direct Rebuke To Trump Marks A Doctrinal Shift In Indian Diplomac
Despite Modi’s clear rejection, Trump continued to claim credit for stopping the war, telling reporters “I stopped a war between Pakistan and India. I love Pakistan” and “They were going at it – and they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped”. This persistent disregard for India’s diplomatic position represents a fundamental breach of mutual respect and understanding.
Challenges With The GE Engine Deal
The pending General Electric F414 engine deal, valued at approximately $1.5 billion for 99 engines with 80% technology transfer, has faced significant delays and complications under the Trump administration. While negotiations have been ongoing since 2012, the current geopolitical climate has introduced additional uncertainties regarding export controls and technology transfer approvals.
Trump’s stricter export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment have already hindered India’s self-reliance goals in technology products. The delay in approving GE’s jet engine deal with HAL reveals a disconnect between rhetoric on supply chain diversification and actionable commitments. Despite commercial discussions being nearly finalized, the volatile nature of U.S.-India relations under Trump raises questions about the long-term viability and strategic wisdom of deeper dependence on American defence technology.
The F414 engines are critical for powering India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2 and the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). However, the current political climate suggests that future technology transfers and strategic cooperation may be subject to increasing restrictions and conditional approvals based on broader geopolitical considerations rather than bilateral defence partnership merits.
The SAFRAN Alternative: Strategic And Technological Advantages
France’s SAFRAN emerges as a compelling alternative that offers significant strategic and technological advantages over continued dependence on American defence technology. SAFRAN has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to technology transfer, with Ambassador Jawed Ashraf confirming that “Safran has expressed its commitment to a 100% technology transfer, covering design development, certification, and production phases”. This level of commitment far exceeds even the 80% technology transfer offered in the GE deal.
The collaboration between SAFRAN and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited extends beyond simple procurement to genuine partnership in advanced engine development. The companies have signed agreements focusing on the design, development, and production of high-thrust engines (110 kN and above) for future aircraft programs, directly supporting India’s AMCA program requirements. SAFRAN’s expertise in advanced engine technologies, including variable-cycle engines, thermal management systems, single-crystal turbine blades, and advanced cooling systems, positions it as an ideal partner for India’s sixth-generation fighter aspirations.
Recent developments have strengthened this partnership significantly. HAL and SAFRAN have formalized agreements to jointly manufacture forged rotating parts for the LEAP engine program, with HAL producing high-performance Inconel components at its Ring Rolling facility in Bengaluru. This collaboration advances near-net Ring Forging technology essential for manufacturing aerospace-grade components that demand exceptional precision, strength, and heat resistance.
France-India Strategic Partnership Advantages
The France-India strategic partnership, launched in 1998 as India’s first-ever Strategic Partnership, offers a fundamentally different paradigm compared to the increasingly transactional U.S. approach. President Macron and Prime Minister Modi have consistently demonstrated mutual respect and strategic alignment, recently launching the “Horizon 2047” roadmap that provides a comprehensive framework for cooperation across defence, space, civil nuclear energy, renewable resources, and emerging technologies.
Unlike the U.S. approach of imposing conditions and restrictions, France offers government-to-government deals with substantial local production benefits, making it a preferred defence partner. The ongoing collaboration in the Scorpene submarine program, with six submarines successfully built in India and the integration of DRDO-developed Air Independent Propulsion systems, demonstrates France’s commitment to genuine technology transfer and local manufacturing.
Recent high-level engagements have further solidified this partnership. During Modi’s February 2025 visit to France, both leaders welcomed ongoing discussions in missiles, helicopter engines, and jet engines, specifically highlighting the excellent cooperation between SAFRAN group entities and their Indian counterparts. The joint Exercise Shakti-2025, currently being conducted in France, symbolizes the deep military cooperation and interoperability between the two nations.
Strategic Recommendations
Given the comprehensive analysis of current geopolitical dynamics, India should seriously consider terminating or substantially modifying the GE engine deal in favour of deeper partnership with SAFRAN. The French alternative offers superior technology transfer terms, genuine strategic partnership without political conditionalities, and alignment with India’s long-term strategic autonomy objectives.
The pivot to SAFRAN would serve multiple strategic objectives: reducing dependence on an increasingly unreliable American partner, accessing cutting-edge French aerospace technology with full technology transfer, strengthening the time-tested France-India strategic partnership, and positioning India for sixth-generation fighter development through SAFRAN’s advanced engine technologies. This transition would also demonstrate India’s strategic independence and unwillingness to accept diplomatic humiliation or conditional partnerships.
Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in rejecting Trump’s mediation claims and affirming India’s sovereign decision-making establishes the necessary political foundation for such a strategic pivot. The decision to embrace SAFRAN over GE would represent not just a change in defence suppliers, but a fundamental reorientation toward partnerships based on mutual respect, genuine technology sharing, and long-term strategic convergence rather than transactional relationships subject to political volatility.
The time has come for India to demonstrate that strategic partnerships built on mutual respect and genuine cooperation will always triumph over relationships characterised by hostility, conditions, and diplomatic disregard.
SAFRAN represents not just an alternative to GE, but a pathway to genuine strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty in critical defence capabilities.
IDN
Agencies
