Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:36pm on 09 Jan 2026,Friday India Global
India rejected US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's claim that the India-US trade deal stalled because PM Modi refused to directly call President Trump. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the characterization "not accurate," stating India and the US have held multiple negotiation rounds since February 2025, coming close to a deal several times. Jaiswal emphasized India remains committed to a mutually beneficial agreement and noted Modi and Trump spoke eight times by phone in 2025. Lutnick had claimed Modi's refusal to personally engage Trump became the stumbling block, contrasting it with UK PM Keir Starmer's approach. Trump raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in August, including penalties for Russian oil purchases.
