New Delhi also highlighted sustained leader-level engagement, noting that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke eight times in 2025 on a range of issues, countering suggestions of inadequate outreach.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday strongly rejected claims by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that delays in finalising a bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States were due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged reluctance to personally call President Donald Trump, calling the remarks “inaccurate”.
Addressing a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed Lutnick’s comments as a mischaracterisation of the negotiation process. He said India and the US had committed to pursuing a bilateral trade agreement as early as February 13, 2025, and had since held multiple rounds of talks aimed at reaching a balanced and mutually beneficial deal.
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“We have seen the remarks. India and the United States were committed to a bilateral trade agreement as far back as February 13, 2025. Since then, both sides have held multiple rounds of negotiations. On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA also underlined the depth of leader-level engagement between the two countries, countering suggestions of insufficient outreach. “We remain committed to a mutually beneficial deal between two complementary economies. Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have spoken on eight occasions in 2025, covering various aspects of our wide-ranging partnership,” Jaiswal added.
🚨🇮🇳🇺🇸 India rejects US Commerce Secretary’s comments on PM Modi
Howard Lutnick has said that the India-US trade deal couldn’t happen because Modi didn’t call Trump in time. pic.twitter.com/3ZGAC52kAG
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) January 9, 2026
Lutnick’s remarks were made during an appearance on the All-In Podcast, where he claimed the trade deal was “all set up” and only required Modi to call Trump to conclude it. He alleged that India was “uncomfortable” doing so, prompting Washington to shift focus to agreements with countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The comments come amid heightened India-US trade tensions, including the recent US decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on certain Indian goods, partly linked to India’s purchases of discounted Russian oil. These strains have been compounded by the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill approved by President Trump that threatens steep tariffs on countries importing Russian-origin petroleum products or uranium.
India has maintained that its energy procurement decisions are driven by market considerations and national interest, even as it continues engagement with Washington on a balanced trade pact. The MEA’s response underscores New Delhi’s insistence that negotiations remain active despite geopolitical and economic headwinds, with further developments expected as the proposed sanctions legislation advances in the US Congress.
