Originally Published in Madras Courier
Editorial Note
The India-US interim trade deal raises questions on New Delhi’s willingness and ability to stand up to a global hegemon.
In September 2025, in a televised interview, Howard Lutnick, the United States Secretary of Commerce, summed up the Trump administration’s hostility to India. With characteristic arrogance, he said, India “should say their sorry,” exit BRICS and pledge allegiance to the US dollar. Soon, the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports under the pretext of ‘punishing’ India for buying Russian oil.