Farm, crude, trade deadlock push India-US ties into rougher terrain

Trump's tariff cannon has fired - and India's first-mover advantage is in tatters. With 5 rounds of failed talks and rising pressure over Russian oil, New Delhi now faces its sharpest trade test yet

Six months ago, Donald Trump returned to the White House with a familiar promise: to “Make America Great Again”. This time, the agenda came with sharper teeth: tariffs were once again in focus, pitched as a tool to raise revenue, revive domestic manufacturing, and create jobs. 

What stood out early was Trump’s visible camaraderie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Just three weeks into Trump’s second term, Modi landed in Washington for a high-profile meeting. The two leaders announced plans to hammer out the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement by the Fall of 2025, making India the first country