Modi a ‘tough cookie’, ‘great leader’ who has been in power for over 12 years: Trump

US President Donald Trump lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as a "great leader" and a "tough guy" who has been in power for more than 12 years.

In an interview with Axios, Trump referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi as two of the leaders he admires most for their power, influence and ability to deliver results.

"I think Modi is very good. Yeah. They've had some very good numbers announced. He stays out of wars, which is smart. He's 1.5 billion people. He's actually the biggest. India's actually the biggest. And Modi's a great leader," Trump said in response to a question about the leaders he admires most for their power, leverage and ability to execute.

Trump said the US does substantial business with India, which he claimed had previously "ripped us off."

"And we do a lot of business with them, but now we do fair business. They used to really rip us off. I don't blame them for that. You know, we had stupid politicians that allowed that to happen. But now we do a lot of business," Trump said.

"They're not that happy about it because they used to do a lot better. So Modi's great," he added.

The US President also hailed Xi as a leader of great stature and confidence.

"If you were going to make a movie about either one of them, you wouldn't be able to find the man in Hollywood," Trump said.

"Modi, in a very different way, is highly respected. I know the real Modi is a very tough cookie. I'll tell you, I got to know some things that I didn't know very well," Trump said.

Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France on Wednesday in an effort to repair relations between the two countries, which have come under strain over the past year.

Trump said he had watched India over the years and seen its leaders change quite frequently.

"Somebody would be there for six months and then a year. And then all of a sudden, Prime Minister Modi came along; he's been there for more than 12 years, very solid. And he does it with a great calmness, and yet he's not a calm person. He's a very tough guy," Trump said.

The US President also named Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif among the leaders he likes.