Facing heat at home, Trump begins justifying toughness on India

New Delhi: In a recent outburst on social media, US President Donald Trump attempted to justify his aggressive trade policies toward India, claiming the relationship has been "one-sided" for decades. 

He highlighted India's high tariffs on American goods, which he says have made it nearly impossible for US businesses to sell in the Indian market, while India exports massive amounts to the US. 

Trump also pointed out India's heavy reliance on Russian oil and military equipment, purchasing very little from America. 

Now, he says, India has offered to slash its tariffs to zero, but he dismissed it as coming too late.

This statement comes as Trump faces significant domestic criticism over his handling of international trade, particularly after imposing steep tariffs on Indian imports. Just days ago, on August 27, 2025, Trump enacted a 50% tariff on most goods from India, citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil as a key reason. 

This followed an initial 25% reciprocal tariff on select Indian products starting August 7, with an additional 25% added shortly after. 

From an Indian standpoint, these moves appear more like punitive actions aimed at pressuring New Delhi into aligning with Washington's geopolitical agenda, rather than genuine efforts to balance trade.

India's perspective on this is clear: strategic autonomy has always been a cornerstone of its foreign policy. Buying oil from Russia isn't just about economics, it's about energy security in a volatile global market. In June 2025 alone, India imported around 1.8 million barrels per day of Russian crude, accounting for about 40% of its total oil needs. 

This has only increased despite US warnings, with refiners like Reliance Industries planning to boost purchases by 10-20% in September. 

Why shift away? Russian oil is cheaper and reliable, helping India keep fuel prices stable for its 1.4 billion people. 

Trump's tariffs seem to ignore this reality, treating India as a pawn in the US-Russia rivalry over Ukraine.

Moreover, Trump's timing couldn't be more telling. His comments surfaced right after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on August 31, 2025. 

At the summit, Modi and Xi emphasised that India and China are "partners, not rivals," pledging to resolve border disputes and deepen ties. 

This display of multipolarity, India engaging with both Russia and China, likely irks Washington, which has been pushing for stronger Indo-US alliances to counter Beijing. But India isn't interested in being boxed into Cold War-style blocs. 

As Modi has often said, New Delhi will pursue relationships based on mutual benefit, not external dictates.

Trump's narrative paints India as the aggressor in trade imbalances, but the facts tell a different story. Yes, India exports more to the US, think pharmaceuticals, textiles, and IT services, but that's because Indian goods are competitive and meet global demand. High tariffs on certain US products, like agricultural goods, protect Indian farmers from being undercut by subsidised American imports. 

Reducing them to zero overnight, as Trump demands, could harm domestic industries without reciprocal gains. 

And on military purchases? India's diversification from Russian arms to include US systems has been gradual, but trust issues linger, remember the US sanctions on Turkey for buying Russian S-400s?

From Delhi's view, Trump's tough talk is less about fair trade and more about salvaging his image at home amid backlash from American businesses hurt by his broader tariff wars. 

Indian officials have pushed back, insisting Russian oil imports will continue, tariffs or not. 

This standoff underscores a shifting global order, where emerging powers like India assert independence. As the SCO summit showed, alliances are fluid, and pressuring India might only drive it closer to alternatives in Moscow and Beijing.

In the end, Trump's "simple facts" overlook the complexities of a multipolar world. India isn't backing down, it's charting its own course, tariffs be damned. This episode may strain US-India ties short-term, but it also highlights New Delhi's growing clout on the global stage.