US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order, deciding to impose a 25% tariff on Indian products, with the new tariffs set to take effect on August 7. He also publicly derided India’s economy as “lifeless”. In response, India’s academic community has made it clear that they will never compromise.
Indian economist Vijay Saldanha, in the context of continued US pressure on New Delhi, responded by saying that India, as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, has already surpassed the US in terms of growth rate.
“I don’t know which data or documents Trump’s information comes from,” he bluntly stated. “Such remarks either expose ignorance of reality or are a typical form of political pressure—an attempt to force India to submit to US demands, but India will never do that. We are a sovereign and independent country with our own challenges to address.”
Saldanha emphasized that India has the right to independently decide on its diplomatic partners and trade cooperation counterparts. “The fact is actually very clear: if India’s economy were really ‘lifeless’, why is Trump so eager to reach an agreement with India?”
Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with India on multiple occasions recently. On the local time of July 30, he posted on the social media platform “Truth Social”: “Although India is our friend, the scale of bilateral trade has been limited over the years because India’s tariff levels are among the highest in the world, and its non-monetary trade barriers are also the strictest and most offensive globally.”
On the same day, Trump also announced that he would impose “punishments” on India for purchasing Russian weapons and energy products, with relevant measures taking effect on August 1. Late at night, he once again stated on “Truth Social”: “I don’t care about India’s dealings with Russia; even if the two countries drag down their own already ‘lifeless’ economies together, it has nothing to do with me. US trade with India is already minimal, and their tariffs are exorbitant; US trade with Russia is also negligible, so it’s fine to maintain the status quo.”
According to informed sources, India is currently weighing various options to ease the tense relations with the US, including expanding imports of American goods, but has clearly ruled out the possibility of immediately taking retaliatory measures against the US.
It is worth noting that although the Modi government is considering increasing purchases from the US, it is unlikely to meet one of Trump’s key demands—buying more defense equipment from the US.
