From Maga to Viksit Bharat: How Trump and Modi frame national interest

During their first in-person meeting since Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday drew a parallel between Trump’s Make America Great Again (Maga) movement and India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, emphasising their shared commitment to national interest.

“When we think of President Trump, we think about Make America Great Again. In the same way, the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission is gaining new momentum and resolve,” Modi said, highlighting his government’s push to transform India into a developed nation by 2047.

Prime Minister Modi reiterated that just as Trump prioritises American interests, his own leadership is focussed on putting India first. “President Trump keeps national interest supreme and I also keep national interest first,” he remarked.

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MAGA vs Viksit Bharat: Parallel paths or diverging roads?

President Trump’s MAGA and Prime Minister Modi’s Viksit Bharat (Developed India) may appear as distinct nationalistic slogans, but both represent ambitious visions of economic growth, self-reliance and global influence.

While MAGA was a rallying cry for American resurgence, often marked by protectionism and nationalist policies, Viksit Bharat is Modi’s roadmap for transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.

MAGA: America First and the new trade order

Trump’s MAGA agenda centred on reviving American manufacturing, reducing dependence on foreign economies and renegotiating trade deals. His administration imposed tariffs on countries like China and even allies like India, seeking to correct what he perceived as unfair trade practices.

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The focus was on job creation, energy independence and military strength with a heavy emphasis on reducing immigration and boosting domestic industries. On several policy points, Trump’s Maga push clashes with general views of the world’s top policy-makers. For example, Trump dismisses climate change as hoax and fond of saying “drill baby, drill” to boost oil and gas production in the US as he aims to compete with the big fossil fuel exporters on the planet.

Viksit Bharat: India’s road to 2047

In contrast, Modi’s Viksit Bharat envisions India becoming a global economic powerhouse by its 100th year of independence. The policy prioritises infrastructure development, digital expansion, manufacturing under Make in India and increasing India’s role in global trade and diplomacy.

Unlike Maga’s protectionist stance, Viksit Bharat seeks to position India as an investment hub and technological leader while promoting self-reliance through Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Also, PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat push aims to prioritise policies for sustainable development including an emphasis on net zero programmes.

Convergence and divergence

While both slogans emphasise national pride and economic growth, their approaches differ. Maga leaned toward economic nationalism and protectionism, while Viksit Bharat seeks a balance between self-reliance and global integration. Trump’s America First stance often clashed with international institutions, whereas Modi’s vision aims to strengthen India’s presence within them.

As India pushes forward with its Viksit Bharat mission, its engagement with the Trump administration is likely to shape how these two nationalist visions align or compete in global geopolitics.