India on Friday dismissed as inaccurate the remarks made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who claimed that a proposed India US trade deal could not be finalised last year because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not place a telephone call to President Donald Trump. New Delhi asserted that it continues to remain keen on concluding a mutually beneficial trade agreement between the two countries, describing their economies as complementary in nature.
Responding to the comments, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India and the United States had committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement as early as February 13 last year, following a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump at the White House. Since then, several rounds of negotiations have taken place to arrive at a balanced and fair deal, officials said.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that on multiple occasions the two sides had come close to sealing the agreement, adding that the portrayal of the talks in the reported remarks was not accurate. He emphasised that India remains interested in concluding a trade pact that benefits both sides and expressed hope that discussions would eventually lead to an agreement.
Jaiswal also pointed out that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke over the phone eight times during 2025, covering a wide range of bilateral and global issues. According to people familiar with the negotiations, there was no stage during the past year when a single phone call could have concluded the trade deal.
The latest exchange comes against the backdrop of strained India US relations, which have faced significant challenges in recent months. Negotiations on the trade pact suffered a major setback after the United States imposed a steep 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including an additional 25 per cent duty linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
In his remarks on a podcast, Lutnick said India had been given three deadlines to finalise the deal and suggested that a direct call from Prime Minister Modi to President Trump was necessary to close it. He claimed that after the United States concluded a trade deal with the United Kingdom, India was expected to be next in line but failed to act within the expected timeframe. Lutnick also indicated that the previously negotiated deal with India was no longer under consideration.
At the same media briefing, the MEA spokesperson said India was closely monitoring developments related to a proposed Russia sanctions bill introduced by US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The bill seeks to impose tariffs of up to 500 per cent on countries purchasing Russian oil, including India and China.
Jaiswal reiterated that India’s approach to energy sourcing is guided by global market conditions and the need to ensure affordable energy for its population of 1.4 billion people.
Commenting on the United States decision to withdraw from several international organisations and UN bodies, including the International Solar Alliance, Jaiswal said India continues to support multilateralism. He noted that the ISA has made substantial progress in promoting solar energy cooperation among its 125 member countries and said India would continue to advance its objectives.
Apart from trade and tariffs, India US relations are also under strain due to differences over other issues, including President Trump’s claims about mediating the India Pakistan conflict last year and Washington’s evolving immigration policies.
Discussion about this post