Manoj Joshi's column: Tariffs imposed on us because we challenged Trump

Why has India-US relations reached their lowest point? There are many ideas behind this. The first is that America was really upset because of India's purchase of oil from Russia. But it is a well-known fact that under the Biden administration, India was encouraged to buy oil from Russia within a fixed price frame so that oil prices could be stable. It is also clear that China is a much bigger buyer of Russian oil and has not been punished so far. The second theory says that the US wants to make its agricultural and dairy products accessible in the Indian market. Obviously, the Government of India opposed this, because it did not want to incur the wrath of its farmers. But this argument was not considered a credible response in the US. The third reason could be that the relations between the two countries deteriorated during Operation Sindoor. The operation itself was a resounding success, but India refused to give Trump credit for the ceasefire. And that's where the problem started. There are other reasons also. Fourth, the anti-India lobby on migration is influencing foreign policy. Another reason given is that Trump wants India to break away from BRICS, because there he forms a Global South Club, which has the potential to challenge US hegemony. The personal tension between Trump and Modi has further widened the rift. On the surface, Modi and Trump share a warm personal relationship. This was evident during Modi's visit to Washington in February. But in its depths is also hidden the confrontation, which over time took a negative form. There are five occasions in the media that have sparked this controversy. The first case is that Trump, in his first term in July 2019, said that Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue. This was a blatant lie and India denied it in the strongest terms. The second issue came to light in September 2024, when Modi went to the US to attend the Quad summit hosted by Biden. Modi had a meeting with Trump. And since it was election time, they wanted to have a meeting with Kamala Harris as well. The meeting with Harris could not take place, so he also canceled the Trump meeting. This angered the over-egoistic Trump. The third reason could be Modi's meeting with Elon Musk in Washington DC. Modi's February 2025 visit to the US was a success, but his much-publicised meeting with Musk apparently angered Trump. They were not very happy that companies like Tesla or Apple set up their manufacturing units in India. The fourth occasion was Operation Sindoor, in which Trump feels he stopped the Indo-Pak conflict and helped avert a nuclear war. Trump repeated his claim several times, but India categorically denied any role in his doing. This angered Trump. The fifth and final reason was when Modi declined the invitation to visit the White House on his way back from the G-20 summit in Canada. It was the same day that Trump had invited Asim Munir for lunch. It is believed that Trump wanted to pose for a photo with Munir and Modi standing next to him. According to a news agency, oil exports from Russia to India are set to increase in September. Several Russian refineries have been damaged by the Ukrainian attacks and crude oil is available at cheap prices. US officials have accused India of profiteering from subsidised Russian oil. India has accused the West of adopting double standards as the EU and the US continue to purchase billions of dollars worth of Russian products. The SCO summit, hosted by China, further increased the displeasure of the Trump administration. Both Modi and Putin attended the meeting along with other members of the organisation. It was seen as India's growing proximity with Russia and China. The US' total exports to India are $87 billion and India's GDP was $3.9 trillion in 2024. Tariffs on India's exports to the US are about 2.2% of GDP. This is not enough to harm India's growth. (This is the author's opinion)