{"id":6397,"date":"2026-10-01T06:18:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T06:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6397"},"modified":"2026-10-01T06:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T06:18:06","slug":"modis-india-takes-on-trump-more-openly-from-terrorism-to-tariffs-narendra-modi-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6397","title":{"rendered":"Modi\u2019s India takes on Trump more openly, from \u2018terrorism\u2019 to tariffs | Narendra Modi News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New Delhi, India \u2014<\/strong> Speaking at an event in New York this week, India\u2019s Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar offered a blunt assessment of Washington: It has been an insensitive partner to India\u2019s concerns over \u201cterrorism\u201d; has warmed to its arch-rival Pakistan; and has pursued \u201cself-centered\u201d trade policies that have disproportionately hurt the Global South.<\/p>\n

That tone marks a new edge in how New Delhi is dealing with US President Donald Trump\u2019s administration in Washington, analysts say, on the back of rising bilateral tensions between the capitals.<\/p>\n

For decades, India has dealt with divisive issues with otherwise friendly nations quietly behind the scenes, away from spectacle. That has especially been New Delhi\u2019s approach with Washington, where the relationship has broadly enjoyed wide bipartisan support.<\/p>\n

However, after months of tensions, New Delhi is adopting a more openly critical tone towards Washington to address the volatility and uncertainty that Trump brings to the White House.<\/p>\n

The changing tune in New Delhi also comes at a critical time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who faces mounting domestic pressure and criticism from the opposition for allegedly bowing down to US pressure, time and again. On Wednesday, Modi held a telephone call with Trump, which the Indian PM called \u201cproductive\u201d \u2014 a cold and formal depiction far removed from his description of the US president as a \u201cgood friend\u201d in previous years.<\/p>\n

Chietigj Bajpaee, a senior research fellow for South Asia at the Chatham House think tank, said that Jaishankar\u2019s remarks \u201coffer a frank assessment\u201d on the current state of the India-US relationship. \u201cClearly, the shine has come off the bilateral relationship after India was initially among the most optimistic about a second Trump term,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Indian
Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 26, 2026 [Eduardo Munoz\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

India\u2019s pain points<\/h2>\n

Jaishankar addressed frictions between India and the US while speaking at an Asia Society event after the UN General Assembly in New York ended on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I stand back and look at the [India-US] relationship, I note that much of the world has had a more difficult relationship with the US,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean that may not be a consolation, but that\u2019s a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trade<\/h3>\n

Trade has been one of the flashpoints. Washington is India\u2019s largest trading partner, with bilateral goods trade reaching $149.1 billion in 2025; but the relationship remains tilted towards India with a $58.4 billion goods surplus.<\/p>\n

Jaishankar started by noting: \u201cCountries should not be so self-centred that you\u2019re in your own world and take your decision and say, \u2018Well, it was not my intention to make your life difficult\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

The minister was partly referring to the economic spillover of the wars in Iran and Ukraine, urging that \u201csound common sense\u201d should ensure that the basic needs of countries were not neglected.<\/p>\n

But then, he referred to the trade negotiations between India and the US, that have so far yielded a roadmap to a deal \u2014 but not a deal itself.\u00a0\u201cApart from the per capita gap between India and the United States, the nature of production and the nature of society is very different,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

The agricultural sector has been among the most contested points between the two, where India has kept its market largely closed for decades to safeguard its farmers. \u201cThe expectation that it could rapidly move forward was tested against the ground reality, which was much more complex,\u201d he said, adding that \u201cthere is more or less an understanding on the trade agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

At one point, India was among the countries facing the worst tariff rates imposed by Trump. After the US Supreme Court struck down Trump\u2019s sweeping tariffs in February, his administration swiftly turned to other tools, including a new 10 percent global tariff. Earlier this month, Trump signed a law under which the US can impose up to 100 percent tariffs on countries like India that purchase Russian oil.<\/p>\n

Jaishankar pointed to these changes, noting that the negotiations created \u201cbumps last year for the relationship,\u201d and added that once the deal is closed, it \u201cwould contribute to a better relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ajay Bisaria, a retired diplomat who served as high commissioner to Canada and Pakistan, and as ambassador to Poland, told Al Jazeera that with Washington, in particular, \u201cIndia has decided to be more public because there has been a lot of public criticism and a sentiment that the US is bullying India and India has been silent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new 100 percent tariff on India, due to come into effect in less than a month, \u201cis sort of a deal breaker in the relationship right now,\u201d said Bisaria. \u201cIf that becomes reality, then all Indian efforts [to reach out to the US] would come under scrutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Terrorism\u2019<\/h3>\n

But trade isn\u2019t the only challenge in the relationship. A major rupture emerged\u00a0in May last year, when New Delhi engaged in a four-day war with its bitter neighbour, Pakistan, after an attack by armed fighters in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 civilians.<\/p>\n

New Delhi was upstaged as President Trump announced a ceasefire, claiming that he threatened both countries with economic damage if they didn\u2019t stop fighting. For India, any question on Kashmir is strictly bilateral with Pakistan, with no room for so-called third-party intervention.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Trump has gone on to claim dozens of times that he brokered the crucial ceasefire \u2014 as recently as at the UNGA in New York \u2014 that halted the war between two nuclear-armed neighbours. India took offence to these claims.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Pakistan\u2019s leaders cozied up to Trump, showered high praise, and nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, the relationship between Islamabad and Washington has bloomed, to New Delhi\u2019s obvious irk.<\/p>\n

For India, Jaishankar said, \u201cparticularly important is the issue of terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a country, perhaps there are very few countries which have been subjected to the kind of terrorism that we have from a neighbour as part of a deliberate, conscious policy over many, many decades,\u201d Jaishankar said, referring to Pakistan.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, if something which matters so deeply to us, there isn\u2019t enough understanding or appreciation or empathy of that, I think that creates a problem too,\u201d he said, adding that India\u2019s primary concerns are \u201cnot fully appreciated\u201d by its partner, the US.<\/p>\n

New Delhi\u2019s changing tone while addressing Washington \u201cis a lesson learnt from its experiences,\u201d said Bisaria, the former diplomat. \u201cAfter the ceasefire issue, the moods changed \u2014 and it all became worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harsh Pant, vice president of the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, said that \u201cthe obsession with Pakistan in the Trump administration without taking India\u2019s sensitivities into account contributed to the sense that, look, we need to start articulating it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen at the top level, you don\u2019t see reciprocity, then calculations change and decisions are taken to bring differences out in the open,\u201d Pant told Al Jazeera, referring to Jaishankar\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n

\"India\u2019s
India\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers a hand to US President Donald Trump during a family photo before a cultural performance and concert during the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 16, 2026 [Evelyn Hockstein\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Domestic Pressure<\/h3>\n

Indians have been the biggest beneficiaries of the US\u2019s H1B programme which allows hiring of foreign workers with training in specialty fields. But that has come under fire from Trump, under whose watch Washington has raised barriers and fees for applicants, amid growing criticism of the scheme from supporters of his MAGA movement.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many years, mobility was seen as an economic gain. Today the economics of mobility and the politics of mobility are at odds with each other, at least in some quarters,\u201d Jaishankar said, referring to Trump\u2019s anti-immigration politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat certainly in public perception is an issue,\u201d the minister said.<\/p>\n

Domestic pressure appears to be finally catching up in New Delhi. \u201cModi is feeling domestic pressure, with key state elections coming up next year, especially amid some anti-incumbency,\u201d said Bisaria. \u201cIt dictates that the government\u2019s posture should not be one of taking bullying from the US.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pant said issues like migration impact the general public in India, with the world\u2019s largest population. For years, such connections made the US \u201can attractive partner for a large mass of Indians.\u201d But today, he said,\u2029\u201dthe same issues are becoming a negative drag on the relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe public mood in India is also changing perceptibly towards the US. And I think the government is articulating that negative sentiment now publicly,\u201d Pant said.<\/p>\n

\"President
President Donald Trump and India\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, February 13, 2025, in Washington. (Alex Brandon\/AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Waiting out Trump\u2019<\/h2>\n

When Trump returned to the White House for his second presidential run, many in New Delhi\u2019s strategic community were optimistic about bilateral relations, because of the US president\u2019s warm personal relations with PM Modi during his first term.<\/p>\n

But things unravelled in the coming months.<\/p>\n

Still, Chatham House\u2019s Bajpaee said that despite widening divisions between the US and India, \u201cboth have not given up on reviving their relationship\u201d.<\/p>\n

He pointed to Jaishankar\u2019s remarks that India isn\u2019t singled out in having a difficult relationship with the US. \u201cRather, the downturn in India-US relations is a reflection of the Trump administration\u2019s transactional and often unpredictable or erratic foreign policy,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis offers a potential off-ramp for an eventual reset in relations. The conclusion of a bilateral trade agreement is a key watchpoint for this,\u201d Bajpaee added.<\/p>\n

For New Delhi, Pant said, \u201cit is now just the question of waiting Mr. Trump out.\u201d Though he added, with a laugh, that India is not alone in that queue.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is waiting him out. President Trump has little respect for conventions and norms of inter-state behaviour. How do you just deal with that individual?\u201d Pant said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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New Delhi, India \u2014 Speaking at an event in New York this week, India\u2019s Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar offered a blunt assessment of Washington: It has been an insensitive partner to India\u2019s concerns over \u201cterrorism\u201d; has warmed to its arch-rival Pakistan; and has pursued \u201cself-centered\u201d trade policies that have disproportionately hurt the Global South….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t