US President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed issues ranging from weapons sales to trade when they met in Washington on Thursday but in public remarks avoided the sensitive subjects of human rights and minority abuses.

Concerns over India's human rights track record have taken a bipartisan backseat in Washington in recent years as India gained clout by boosting its US trade and emerging as a partner in countering China, experts say, noting Trump's second presidency will continue that trend.

The leaders' formal remarks as they met at the White House and then spoke at a joint press conference made no mention of rights issues, and neither did their online statements.

"Trump is unlikely to take a position on rights issues in India. And that's largely because his foreign policy is staunchly interests-based, affording little space for values-based considerations such as human rights abroad," said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think-tank.

While former President Joe Biden also maintained strong India ties, his top diplomat Antony Blinken occasionally condemned minority abuses.

State Department reports on human rights and religious freedom have noted abuses in India in recent years. New Delhi calls them "deeply biased."

Chietigj Bajpaee, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, called Modi and Trump "strongman" leaders with shared perceptions.

Kugelman said their similarities, including their approach to human rights, strengthen their chemistry.