He added that Trump’s gesture of calling Modi “brought the temperature down” and gave both sides a chance to reopen discussions. “More importantly, they are restarting trade negotiations. The Prime Minister has been very kind in reciprocating in a very warm manner to the President, while at the same time opening the dialogue between the two countries,” Aghi noted.
On the outlook for a trade deal, Aghi struck a cautious note, pointing out that challenges remain. “We are not out of the woods. Within the White House, there is a group of people who are not very supportive of this partnership. You also have vested interests in neighbouring countries that are not keen to see this relationship move forward,” he said.He underlined the need for tariff reduction, arguing that the current levels are hurting India’s exports and jobs. “It is critical that we bring the tariff down below 25% because it is impacting India’s exports. It’s impacting jobs. From that perspective, I think it will take some time,” Aghi explained.
On geopolitical issues, he said the two leaders also touched on the Ukraine conflict. Aghi recalled Modi’s earlier message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this is not an era of war,” and stressed that India has always advocated a peaceful resolution. He pushed back against criticism of India’s Russian oil imports, saying these were done in consultation with the US. “It has brought oil prices to a much more stable level. It has given space to Europe to procure oil from the Middle East for its own consumption,” Aghi said.
Aghi emphasised that India-US talks are now “back on track” and expressed hope for progress. “Every day that goes by, a lot of people are being impacted in terms of their jobs and orders from the United States. Job creation and job saving are critical once we conclude this trade deal between the two countries,” he said.
