PM Modi skips UNGA podium amid US-India tariff tensions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York later this month, even as trade frictions with the United States cast a shadow over ties between the two countries.

The revised provisional list of speakers, released by the UN, excludes Modi’s name. Instead, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will speak during the General Debate on September 27.

The 80th session of the UNGA opens September 9, with the high-level General Debate scheduled for September 23–29. As per tradition, Brazil will open the session, followed by the United States. US President Donald Trump, now in his second term, is slated to address world leaders on September 23 in what will be his first UNGA speech since returning to the White House.

An earlier provisional list issued in July had placed Modi on the September 26 line-up, alongside the leaders of Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The latest revision marks a significant change, though UNGA speaker lists remain subject to adjustments until the high-level week begins.

While New Delhi has not formally linked Modi’s absence to the ongoing tariff dispute with Washington, the decision comes at a time when the two countries are grappling with sharp disagreements on trade policy.