News Desk - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his address at the G7 summit in Evian, France, to warn that the world faces a “shortage of trust” rather than a shortage of resources, just hours before his first bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in more than a year. The remark came as the two leaders greeted each other briefly on the summit sidelines, a meeting seen as a key test of strained India-U.S. ties.

Modi told world leaders that “the future of our partnerships depends on rebuilding this trust,” framing trust as the central challenge in global diplomacy. His comments carried added weight because they came immediately before a one-on-one with Trump, whose tariff actions and broader policy shifts have unsettled New Delhi in recent months.

The meeting is expected to be short and is unlikely to produce major announcements, but it comes amid a wider effort to steady relations between Washington and Delhi. India has also been wary of the U.S. approach to Pakistan and of trade pressure from the Trump administration, both of which have deepened what analysts describe as a trust deficit.

Modi also raised concerns about maritime safety in West Asia during the G7 session, linking the trust deficit in diplomacy to wider instability in global affairs. The backdrop to the talks includes ongoing tensions in the region and unresolved questions around trade, security, and strategic cooperation.