Trump praises Modi's anti-opium push as India listed among major drug producers

President Donald Trump issued a statement commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi for steps taken to reduce illegal opium poppy cultivation in India, a country now identified by the United States as a major illicit drug-producing nation. The U.S. categorises India, Pakistan and China among 23 countries deemed major drug transit or production hubs, a list that also includes Afghanistan, Colombia and Mexico among others.

Washington emphasized that placement on the list stems from geographic, commercial and economic conditions that facilitate drug movement, not necessarily from a lack of governmental effort. Four nations - Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma and Colombia - were singled out for failing to meet international counternarcotics obligations. Trump also highlighted broader U.S. achievements in drug enforcement, citing reduced border seizures and lower overdose deaths, though these claims were not detailed in the statement.