India on Friday rejected as “not accurate” US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s claim that the India-US trade deal stalled because PM Modi did not speak to Trump.
MEA said India and the US held multiple rounds of talks and that Modi and Trump spoke eight times in 2025 despite ongoing trade tensions.
India on Friday rejected as “not accurate” the claim by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that the India-US trade deal failed because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not speak directly to US President Donald Trump.
Responding to the remarks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India and the US have been committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since February 13, 2025.
Multiple rounds of talks held: MEA
Jaiswal said several rounds of negotiations have been held since then to arrive at a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement, adding that on multiple occasions, the two sides were close to finalising a deal.
“The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate,” he said during a media briefing in New Delhi.
He added that India remains interested in concluding a mutually beneficial trade agreement between the two economies.
Modi-Trump spoke eight times in 2025
The MEA spokesperson said Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke over the phone eight times in 2025, discussing “different aspects of our wide-ranging partnership”.
He also said the two leaders share a friendly relationship and have always addressed each other with mutual respect, in line with diplomatic norms.
What Howard Lutnick said
India’s response came hours after Lutnick said the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement was stalled because Modi did not personally call Trump to finalise the deal.
In an interview on the All-In podcast, Lutnick claimed the deal was ready but required a direct call from Modi, adding that this did not happen.
Tariffs and rising pressure on India
Trade negotiations stalled last year, following which the US raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent in August. These included a 25 percent levy linked to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, along with 25 percent reciprocal tariffs.
Trump has since warned that tariffs could be increased further unless India reduced its Russian oil imports.
The warning pushed the rupee to a record low and unsettled investors hoping for progress in the long-pending trade talks.
Trade deal status remains uncertain
Lutnick said India is still seeking a tariff rate between those earlier offered to Britain and Vietnam, but added that the previous offer has lapsed.
He also said the US had stepped back from a trade deal that was earlier close to being finalised, though he suggested discussions could resume in the future.
Strain in India-US ties
Ties between India and the US have remained strained since last year, particularly after Washington imposed additional tariffs over India’s Russian oil purchases and amid differences on other diplomatic issues.
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