When Donald Trump dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January, days after becoming the US president, it was a great show a bonhomie.Both were strong, right-wing leaders andmost people thought they would get along well. PM Modi tweeted that he had a warm conversation with America’s new president, while Trump told him the US considers India a true friend.Even during his campaign last year, Trump had said India and the US were best friends.The bonhomie between PM Modi and Trump might thin after Trump’s open criticism of India on Thursday while announcing American withdrawal from the Paris climate change accord.PM Modi is scheduled to visit the US for a face-to-face meeting with Trump at the end of this month.The meeting is supposed to be significant as many think the good chemistry between PM Modi and Trump could resolve several contentious issues between the two countries or at least moderate the US stand of issues that matters for India such as Trump’s insistence on the US companies manufacturing within the country which can impact Modi’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ programme.Has Trump sent a cold signal to PM Modi by criticising India yesterday? This is what Trump said: “India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries.” This was the first statement by Trump in which he targeted India directly. In his true fashion, Trump did not mince words: “Think of it: India can double their coal production. We're supposed to get rid of ours.”Ahead of a significant first meeting with PM Modi, has Trump signalled that the US and India are no longer the best friends?It’s quite possible given Trump’s several foreign policy reversals after he became the president. His biggest U-turn was declaring that China was no currency manipulator after accusing it on that count several times during his campaign. Trump also reversed his defiance of One-China policy.Maybe Trump’s pro-India rhetoric was a ploy to corner votes of Indian-Americans. It is clear Trump is learning and re-learning on the job which makes his policies and stances volatile. India cannot trust Trump blindly.But Trump has shown some love to India. The shrill anti-Pakistan stance of the US now is a big step for the country which had considered Pakistan its friend for a long time. The US is now unambigously siding with India against Pakistan.Yet, Trump’s anti-India rant has made PM Modi’s job a lot more difficult. Already, the visa restrictions by the US are hurting Indian tech companies and Trump’s aggressive policy to force American companies to manufacture within the US is a clear threat to PM Modi’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ programme that aims to persuade big US companies to set up manufacturing units in India.While we would know how well PM Modi handles Trump only after their meeting at the end of this month, one thing is clear: Trump may have become India’s friend but he is not a reliable one.